Silvery Scouts
by StarstruckKittenSweets
Summary: ((BASED ON THE GAMES)) Alice and Pikachu decide to travel throughout the Unova region, despite having unfriendly relationships with the region in the past. There, she meets fierce friends, like the fiery Touko White and the luminous-as-lightning Hilbert Black, but also new enemies, like the dangerous Team Plasma, which lurks around every corner. ((NOT IN RELATION TO "BW" AT ALL!))
1. Arrival to Unova

**Hello, my loves!**

 **Regarding that poll I posted a while ago on whether or not you guys wanted to see Alice travel Unova with Hilbert/Black/Touya and Hilda/White/Touko, and you guys said yes! Thus, this story was born.**

 **I won't be updating this regularly; I've just decided to post it in celebration of my 17th birthday today. Yay! :)**

 **Tell me what you guys think so far! And yes, I know, it'll be a bit slow in the beginning. Sorry!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing relating to Pokémon. I only own my character, Alice.**

* * *

1 - Arrival to Unova

"I want to go to Unova."

The words tumble out of my mouth so fast and so unexpected I barely have time to bite my tongue. I've always had that habit, speaking my mind without thinking first. It's gotten me into a whole lot of trouble in the past, and other times, it causes people to think I'm stupid. A child.

From my side, Pikachu looks up at me, his black eyes full of confusion and surprise. "Pika?" I ignore him and keep my blue eyes fixed on my mother in front of me.

She freezes in her place in front of the kitchen sink and looks over her shoulder at me, her eyes reflecting in the room's dim light. "Why would you want to go there?" she asks, her voice calm. Soapy water drips off her soaked hands, pooling in bubbly puddles at the corners of the sink.

I take a deep breath, blinking my eyes furiously. "It's been a little while since I've traveled a region. I've gone through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and even Sinnoh. I'm eager to try something new."

Her blue eyes—so much like mine—are locked tightly on my face. They move slightly as she drinks up my image, finally sighing before she grabs a nearby towel and turns around fully. She wipes her hands clean and dry before tossing it back into the counter.

"Sweetie, I love that you're interested in the outside world and want to explore, and I respect that, I really do. Your aunt was just like that. But you do know... _he_ left for Unova, right?"

"I know."

My voice sounds a little cold when I respond, but I don't care. I truly want to travel to Unova; I don't want Mom's decision on whether or not she allows me to go to be based on the fact my father left Kanto for Unova when I was two years old.

"But I don't really care. I actually _want_ to go."

She flinches slightly, but lets a soft smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "I understand, Alice. But you can't just leave right now, you know," she adds with a teasing edge to her tone. "We'll make arrangements and all at dinner, okay?"

I part my lips to protest, but snap them back together. I'm lucky she's agreeing to let me go—I shouldn't backtalk her or say anything smart or fresh.

* * *

"Okay."

Mom's voice takes me by surprise, but I quickly recover and look up at her from my plate of breaded cutlets. She eyes me carefully, a wide smile stretching along her pretty mouth.

"What do you have in mind for Unova? What do you plan on doing once you get there?"

I blink twice, straightening up in my seat. _I have to be careful about this answer, or she may rethink her decision of letting me go._ "I want to challenge the Gyms there and enter the Pokémon League. I also wanna catch a lot of new Pokemon, too."

She nods, like she expected just as much from me. "Of course. I should've known. Ever since you came home from Sinnoh you've acted a little bit...differently," she finally says once she's searched and found the right word.

I can't help it, though. My best friend, Dawn, had traveled with me all throughout Sinnoh. We were as tight as could be, and Pikachu and Piplup, her own Starter Pokémon, were best friends, as well. But our journey had come to an end eventually, and I'd returned to Kanto while she stayed behind in Sinnoh to continue her Contest training as a Pokémon Coordinator. We frequently kept in touch, though, sending letters back and forth to each other through the post offices in Viridian City and Sandgem Town.

"And what about friends? Or will it just be you and Pikachu?"

My eyes trail upwards toward the ceiling in thought. I haven't thought about this, to be honest. Except for Dawn, I've never traveled with friends in any of the other regions I've visited before. Sure, I've had a couple rivals here and there, but I've never had a true traveling partner. I'm not so sure I _would_ want one to begin with, since Pikachu and I are so used to traveling at our own speed. Dawn and Piplup were an exception, as they were just starting out, and we clicked so well in the beginning anyways.

"I'm not sure," I finally answer, meeting her warm, motherly eyes once more. "Maybe Pikachu and I will just travel like we always have."

"I understand," she says. "And I take it you'd like myself and Professor Oak to take care of your other Pokémon?"

"...If you wouldn't mind, yes."

"Of course," she chuckles, leaning back in her chair. "When would you like to leave, sweetie?"

A wave of dark red color stretches along my neck and face as I answer, "As soon as possible." I hope she doesn't think I'm too pushy or demanding.

But her smile lingers on her face, and she gives a small nod. "I'll check the flights in Vermillion City for tomorrow afternoon. We can drive up there in the morning, and get an early start. In the meantime, start packing up anything you may need. I take it you plan on staying in Unova for quite some time, then?"

"That's the plan," I tell her with a smile.

"Pika pi!"

* * *

After dinner, I retreat to my room, where I sit at my small desk. Pikachu flicks on the desk lamp as I grab a piece of paper and a pen. In not-so-elegant writing, I scrawl out:

 _Dawn,_

 _My mom's letting me go to Unova! I can't believe it, since my dad left to go there a long time ago. Mom doesn't exactly have a friendly relationship with that region._

 _By the time you get this, I'll probably already be in Unova. Pikachu's with me, so I won't be alone. We're gonna challenge the Gyms and enter the Pokémon League. I'll try to write to you once we get there, and I'll send it as soon as I can!_

 _I wish you could come along with us! Send Piplup my best, and good luck with your Contests! I love you!_

 _-Alice_

I grab an envelope from the desk drawer and fold the letter. I write Dawn's name and address on the envelope before slipping the letter inside, tucking the envelope's flap underneath.

When I look back, Pikachu already holds a Poké Ball. I smile as I take it, giving him a pet on the head, to which he coos. Then, I open the Poké Ball.

A flash of white light erupts in front of me, and my Staraptor appears on the desk, his wings tucked in. He rubs against my cheek affectionately, cooing like the tiny Starly I raised him from.

"I need you to take this to the post office in Viridian City, okay? It should still be open."

Staraptor chirps and grasps the envelope in his talons. With a caw, he lifts himself up and flies out through the open window.

* * *

"Okay, I'm ready."

Slung over my shoulders is my trusty brown backpack. It's filled with my pajamas and a spare set of clothes, snacks, and other supplies I might need on the road. The zippers are accessorized with little keychains—a Pikachu on one and a Piplup on the other, which I bought in Sinnoh.

My outfit's simple: a royal blue T-shirt under a white jacket with sleeves that reach my elbows. I'm clothed in a slightly frilly black skirt that stretches down to the area just above my knees, as well, and wear a pair of white boots that reach up to my ankles. A blue and white hat with a Poké Ball design rests on my head, hiding some of my messy black hair.

Staraptor is now safely back in his Poké Ball, having returned last night before I went to bed. The letter was gone, so I can only assume he'd succeeded in his task.

Mom nods at me, giving me one final hug. "I'll miss you so much, sweetie. Don't forget to call from time to time, and remember to do your laundry and change your underwear every day."

"Mom," I grumble against the fabric of her pink sweater, my face exploding with heat. "I know all that. You don't have to baby me anymore—I'm a big girl now."

She pulls away from me and stares into my eyes, a sad smile sketched across her face. "I know, I know. It's just...my little girl's all grown up and about to go on another journey. I have to remind myself you don't need my help now as much as you did a few years ago."

A light blush brushes over my face, but I smile anyway. "I'll be okay, Mom. Don't you worry. And I'll call you when we get to Unova. I promise."

* * *

A few minutes later, Pikachu and I are settled in our assigned seats near the windows, and the plane surges forward, finally lifting off into the air. I press the palm of my hand against the cool glass, tracing my fingernail over a light stain as I watch the airport dissolve into a tiny dot on the ground as the plane lifts higher and higher.

"Pika?" Pikachu's voice slightly startles me, causing me to jump in my seat. But I recover quickly, and meet his soft, concerned look with a smile.

"It's okay, buddy. I'm just a bit nervous about leaving Mom home alone again."

"Pika pi, pikachu?"

"I actually _wanted_ to go to Unova in the first place," I reply, my voice a bit edgy when I respond. "I couldn't care less about the fact Dad left for Unova when I was two." _Why does everyone suspect I want to go because of him? Why can't I go on my own desires and beliefs?_

Pikachu eyes me closely, his dark brown eyes melting into my blue ones, before shrugging and finally laying down on my lap. A soft puff of breath escapes his parted lips as he shuts his eyes, snuggling into the slightly frilly material and laces of my skirt.

"Okay, buddy," I chuckle, running my hand along his back. "I'll wake you up when we get there." _Unova's only around a two hour flight, so what harm could it do to let him sleep for a little while?_

But as I lean back in my own seat and stare out at the large and lazy cotton-colored clouds, I feel my eyelids begin to droop, and soon enough, my soft breaths meet those of my partner's as I drift off into a dreamless yet peaceful sleep.

* * *

"We are approaching Virbank City in approximately ten minutes. Please prepare yourselves for landing."

Although they protest, I force my eyelids to lift up, allowing pale sunlight and blue sky to slip in. I crane my neck forward, wincing slightly as I feel the muscles strain and stretch under my skin. As I shift in my seat, running my tongue along my dry mouth, Pikachu's ear twitches, and he suddenly sits up.

"Pika pi?"

"We're almost there," I answer him, yawning as I do. "A few more minutes, and then we're officially in Unova."

I reach down and unzip my backpack, pulling out the small catalog of Unova my mother gave to me just before I left. I lean back in my seat and start flipping through it, feeling the shiny and slippery pages pass through my fingers.

"Oh, look!" I point to a small section of the page, and Pikachu looks up, his eyes meeting the typed letters on the slippery surface. "It says there's a place in Virbank City called Virbank Complex, and you can find a lot of Pokémon there! I'll bet Unova's got hundreds of Pokémon we haven't even seen yet! We should check it out, right, buddy?"

"Pikachu!"

* * *

Once the plane lands, and the people start standing up and filing out of the aircraft, I yank the shutter down on the window. I want to see Unova for myself through my own eyes, and not just through a slightly-stained airplane window.

Pikachu and I are the last people to get off the plane. But when we do, I throw up my clenched fists in the air and shout at the top of my lungs:

"Unova, here we come!"

"Pikachu!"

Ignoring the stares some people give me, I rush off the steps and onto the pavement, my eyes scanning the city in front of me. Buildings not tall enough to be considered skyscrapers reach up towards the clouds, their surfaces dotted with tiny windows. Stretches of dark gray pavement formed into roads lead into the city, and both kids and adults alike are perched either on or beside the roads.

"This must be Virbank City," I say to Pikachu, who's taken it upon himself to perch himself on my shoulder.

"Pika pika," he answers, rubbing the side of his face against my cheek.

"But first thing's first: we've gotta find the Gym. Right?"

"Pikachu!"

And with that, the two of us run into the city, and immediately, we're slapped in the face with a cool, crisp breeze. Shivers dance up and down my spine as we race down the streets, turning at every sharp corner and slipping past strangers as we do so. Pikachu's tiny yellow paws tighten their grip on the sleeves of my shirt and jacket, and he starts shaking slightly with excitement.

We finally skid to a stop when my eyes catch the familiar sight of the Pokémon Gym logo—a slanted Poké Ball that looks like it's been sliced in half. The logo's plastered onto the rugged metal door of a small purple building, thin paint chipping off the surface. Excitement pulsing through me, I reach for the doorknob, shaking with anticipation, but freeze once I see a piece of paper on the door.

Held up by a small piece of tape, hastily-written scribbles formed into letters dance across the page. Looking closer, I read the note with a sinking heart.

 _Sorry, dudes and dudettes. But I'm on a small tour in Sinnoh with my band for now, so I won't be back until the end of the month. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I promise I'll accept any battle challenges as soon as I get back. Hang tight, fans!_

 _-Roxie_

"Well, this sucks," I sigh heavily, hanging my head. I reach up and rest my right hand on my hip, shutting my eyes. "And we were looking forward to our first Gym battle, too..."

"Pika pika."

 _Then what's the use of staying at the Gym if it's Leader-less? And what good's a city or town if it doesn't have a Gym Leader to battle?_

"I guess we could look around," I mutter to Pikachu. "I'm sure there's stuff we can do before we find the Pokémon Center, and I can write to Dawn. " I suddenly gasp as an idea flashes like a lightning bolt in my mind. "Maybe we can look in Virbank Complex for some Pokémon! C'mon, buddy!"

* * *

 _Dawn,_

 _We've arrived in the Unova region! We haven't seen much of it yet, though, and we're only in Virbank City so far._

 _Pikachu and I went to the Gym, but it's closed for now. The Gym Leader, Roxie, I think her name is, left a note, saying she and her band were on a tour throughout the Sinnoh region. If you think of it, has their been any band from Unova performing in Sinnoh lately?_

 _I'm sorry if this letter's so short. I'll try to write to you in a few days. Right now, Pikachu and I are going to Virbank Complex to catch some Pokémon!_

 _Wish you were here! I love you! Best wishes to you and Piplup!_

 _-Alice_

Smiling, I wrap the letter up in an envelope and scrawl out Dawn's address on it. I stand up and walk over to the Pokémon Center counter, where Nurse Joy is waiting for me, Pikachu perched on the counter.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she apologizes, that famous sweet smile laced on her lips. "But I'm happy to report your Pikachu's in great health!"

"That's a relief." Pikachu cheers and jumps onto my outstretched arm, climbing up to my shoulder, and then to my head. "Nurse Joy, if you don't mind me asking, is there a post office in Virbank City? I need to send this letter to my friend really quickly."

"No," she answers, holding out her hand, "but you can just give it to me. Sometimes I send out letters and packages to the post office in Accumula Town, which is quite a trek from here."

I give her a grateful smile, handing her the letter. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. You're always such a big help—you and all your sisters." A shy chuckle escapes her mouth at my words. "One more thing: would you mind telling me where Virbank Complex is?"

"Not at all. Just keep going straight, take the second right, and you're there! You can't miss it; Trainers flock there all the time."

"Thank you very much!"

"Pika pika!"

* * *

It's not long before Pikachu and I arrive in the Complex. Little bundles of tall grass decorate the patches of field next to the stone paths and roads. Staircases stretch up to a small maze of orange and amber-colored railings up above, and some fellow Trainers are perched up on the railings, some battling while others simply sit and enjoy the passing breeze.

"Now, where's a good place to catch some Pokémon...?"

A rustle in the leaves causes me to snap my head to the right, where I see a small gray shape move out of the tall grass. Its feathers tucked into its sides, it pecks at the ground repeatedly. It suddenly throws its head back and, unfurling its wings, cries out.

"Pidove!"

"Pidove, huh?" I whisper. Smirking, I nod to Pikachu, who jumps off my shoulder and positions himself into a pounce, ready to spring. "Go get 'em, buddy!"

"Pika!"

Small sparks erupt from his red cheeks as he lunges for the tiny gray bird. Cooing in surprise, it spreads its wings and lifts itself up, and Pikachu lands on the ground instead of the bird. Growling to himself, he sends a glare up at the Pidove, who gladly returns it.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt—!"

"Purrloin, Fury Swipes, let's go!"

Suddenly, a small and sleek purple shape bursts out from the bush behind Pikachu. He cries out in shock as the creature, who looks like a cat, soars over him, sharp claws outstretched.

The "Purrloin" swipes at the bird, who screams in pain as its wing is clipped by those razor-sharp claws. The Pidove then flies up and flaps its wings together, sending a powerful gust of air towards the catlike creature.

"Use Protect!"

Still in the air, the Purrloin curls itself up slightly, and a bright blue shield forms around it. The gusts of air can only collide into the blue shield, bouncing off as the catlike creature is unaffected by the attack.

The Pidove is startled, which allows the Purrloin's unseen Trainer to throw a Poké Ball at it. The Ball taps the Pidove, sucking it inside. The Ball drops to the ground, shaking before clicking shut.

Anger bristles off me like lightning from a Raichu's cheeks. "That was _my_ Pidove, you know!"

At my words, a teenage girl steps out of the bushes, and Purrloin slinks over to her side. With long black hair, dark brown eyes, and a smirk on her face, she wears a forest green skater dress with black leggings and boots reaching up to her knees. She pulls her hair back into a bun, eyeing me suspiciously.

"It was a wild Pidove," she scoffs, tightening her hairband. "It wasn't reserved for _you_."

Pikachu growls, and his fur bristles as he turns towards Purrloin. The catlike creature's lip curls up into a nasty snarl, and she unsheathes her sharp claws.

I puff out my red cheeks, determined to win this argument. "You saw me trying to catch it!"

"You didn't attack it once," the girl sighs, crossing her arms. "I don't want to hear it."

"That's not the point!"

She rolls her eyes before shutting them. "Are you serious right now? Like, really? No one cares who started attacking who first. This is Unova, sweetie. You should know that. Wait," she says, raising her eyebrow, "are you even _from_ Unova?"

I clench my hands into furious fists, despising the reprimanding tone she's using with me. "I'm from Kanto, and my name's Alice. Yours?"

She bursts out laughing, bending over as she squeezes her sides. Tears begin leaking out of the corners of her eyes, and not too long after her, her Purrloin begins snickering, as well.

"I'm sorry," she wheezes in an uncaring tone. "It's just, I didn't expect you to be from Kanto, of all places! I mean, with your attitude, I'd have guessed you were from Sinnoh or Johto, but I guess I wasn't too far off."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I fire back, beginning to shift into my 'battling stance'. "I happen to know very nice people from Johto and Sinnoh!"

"Of course," she pants, straightening herself up. "You would think that. I'm Raven, by the way. Alice, huh? And you've got a Pikachu? I should've known you came from _Kanto_."

"Shut up!" I scream, glaring daggers at her. "Don't talk that way about my home region like that!"

She seems a bit taken aback by my outburst, but plays it cool as she responds. "Protective of your home, huh? Let me guess, you're from Pallet Town, right?" When I don't answer, she smirks. "Oh, I see. And you've done all the basics a Trainer your age should've done by now, right? You've trained, battled, won Gym badges—"

"Actually, I'm itching for a battle right now!" I screech as Pikachu jumps in front of me, growling. "I challenge you to a battle, your Purrloin against Pikachu!"

Raven looks surprised, but quickly masks it with a smirk. "Alright, then. I accept your challenge."

* * *

The two of us are now positioned on opposite ends of a nearby battlefield in the complex. It's perched behind a large building, and a small playground rests next to it. A few kids hang out on the swings to watch the battle.

Raven smirks and points to the field. "Purrloin, get out there and show he what you're made of!"

With a battle cry, the purple catlike creature races ahead. She takes her place in front of her Trainer, baring sharp white teeth that remind me of tiny knives.

 _But we'll win this. I know we will._

"Ready, Pikachu?" I ask him. He growls and nods before jumping off my shoulder. "I choose you!"

Pikachu roars and leaps over to the field, planting his yellow paws in the ground. His red cheeks explode hostilely with small electric jolts.

"I'll make you regret saying those things about Kanto!"

"Pika!"

"Is that so? If you can't take a few insults, don't come to Unova. We don't have time for the easily-offended."

"Purr—loin!"

I grit my teeth before yelling out, "Pikachu, start off with Thunderbolt!"

My Electric-type vibrates with thunderous energy, finally expelling that built-up power in the form of a strong bolt of lightning.

"Protect, let's go!"

A protective blue shield forms around Purrloin's crouched form, blocking the bolt from reaching her. As his attack bounces back harmlessly, Pikachu lands on the ground, groaning. A thin layer of sweat slicks down his yellow body.

I growl under my breath. _If Purrloin knows Protect, we can't use long-distance attacks! Close-range fighting is our only option._

"Now, use Iron Tail!"

"Fury Swipes, Purrloin!"

Pikachu races forward, his tail glowing with powerful steel. But just as he prepares to strike, Purrloin lunges to the side, my Pokémon whizzing right past her.

With speed that rivals lightning, Purrloin's claws reveal themselves, glimmering against the sun. She slashes at Pikachu's side, coaxing him to scream out and tumble, landing on his stomach.

"Pikachu!" I bite my lip fiercely. _He can't be done yet!_

But my buddy's strong, and he proves it by pushing himself up to his paws in no time, sending me a reassuring smile.

"That's my boy!" I yell to him. He holds his chin up proudly, basking in the praise.

"I have to say," Raven shouts to me, "your Pikachu's not half bad. At least, it's more... _intriguing_ than other Pokémon from Kanto."

My teeth hurt from grinding against each other so much. "I agree Pikachu's the best, but don't insult Kanto's Pokémon!

"I'm not insulting them. I'm merely stating my opinion."

"Whatever! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu paws at the ground before charging for Purrloin at an incredible pace, slivers of silver air trailing behind him. Luckily, Purrloin's frozen in her tracks, and Pikachu's head slams into her side.

The catlike creature shrieks and staggers, her paws wobbling. Pikachu bounces back, smirking proudly.

Raven's eyes flash in the sun, as sharp as her Purrloin's claws. "Don't give up, Purrloin. Retaliate with Shadow Claw!"

Purrloin shakes her head and hisses, her right front paw glowing purple. She lunges for Pikachu, her jade eyes glinting with determination and evilness.

"Volt Tackle, let's go!"

Pikachu charges straight for Purrloin, a coat of electricity enveloping him. His paws thunder against the ground, his radiant voice filling my ears.

The two Pokémon collide, and at the explosion, I cross my arms over my face to shield my eyes from the smoke. But once I'm sure the worst of the smoke has passed I unveil my eyes once more.

Pikachu stands there, panting heavily, as Purrloin lays at his paws, black swirls for eyes.

 _We...won?!_

"Well played, I guess," Raven calls to me, shaking her head.

I swallow the pride that wells in my throat as I run to Pikachu, picking him up. I hug him tightly, burying my face in his yellow fur.

"You were great, buddy," I whisper to him. He coos, nuzzling his red cheek against my own.

When I open my eyes again, Raven kneels down, holding her fallen Purrloin. The catlike creature glares at me and Pikachu, but her Trainer merely wears a smirk.

"You won for today, Kanto girl," she says, standing up. Purrloin slinks up to her shoulder, wrapping her sleek purple form around her Trainer's neck. The smirk still on her face, Raven holds out her hand. "But next time will be different."

I raise my eyebrow before shifting Pikachu to one arm, and I grasp her outstretched hand in my own. "Thanks, but I don't think so. You see, us Kanto Trainers are quite defensive of our home."

"I can see that. However, it's only your first battle in the Unova region. It's about to get a whole lot tougher in the real world, kiddo. Personally, I can't wait to see how long you last out there."

A glare conquers my features, and I grip my new rival's hand tighter before yanking my own back. _We'll just see about that, now won't we, Raven?_

* * *

 **As you might've guessed, Raven was based off my original OC for Best Wishes, who was also named Raven. Intended to be Ash's cousin, she was going to travel the Unova region with him, Iris, and Cilan, as well as her own Pikachu, Sparky. She was such a Mary-Sue, now that I think about it.**

 **And no, this story does not tie in with Best Wishes at all. This Raven is not the same one mentioned in A Tasteful First Date, and there is absolutely no Sunsetshipping, unfortunately. This story will be mostly focusing on the games' plot, with a few filler chapters thrown in here and there. Everything's different - even Alice's outfit is mixed up a bit!**

 **Again, let me know what you think! Or not, it's your choice. But anyway, thanks for reading! I love you! :)**


	2. Snivy and Pikachu—Hearts Collide

**Hello, guys!**

 **Here's the 2nd chapter of Silvery Scouts, my BW spin-off based off the games. I'm sorry to say, but Touko and Hilbert won't appear until possibly the sixth chapter. And thank you so very much to all the people who've reviewed, favorited, or simply read the story so far! I really appreciate it, guys! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, or anything related to Pokémon. However, I do own Alice. And that's about it. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

2 - Snivy and Pikachu—Hearts Collide

It's been at least two days now since we've arrived in Unova, and so far, our journey...to put it bluntly, _sucks._

This so-called Roxie's still not back from her tour in Sinnoh (Nurse Joy tells me she and her band pretty much get up and go whenever they like, since their fans always come first to them), and Pikachu and I pretty much know nearly every corner of Virbank Complex already. There's nothing left to explore.

I hate being a bit negative about a region, especially since I've only been here for two days, and have only seen one city, but I need to be entertained! And that goes for both me _and_ Pikachu!

Now, said Electric-type lays on his back on the couch next to me, staring up at the ceiling. He exhales loudly, shutting his dark brown eyes. I perch my chin on my hand and stare straight ahead, where Nurse Joy is giving a Trainer his Poké Ball back, his newly-healed Pokémon tucked safely inside.

Once the Trainer is gone, she turns to me, a frown creasing her sweet face. "Alice, what's wrong?"

"I'm bored," I admit, leaning against the couch.

"Why not go to Virbank Complex?"

"Been there, done that. We recognize almost every kind of Pokémon there is there—Pidove, Patrat, and even the Water-types in the river. Besides, I don't have any Poké Balls, so I can't catch anything. It's not fun anymore. Roxie needs to come back; I need to battle a Gym Leader soon or I'll go nuts!"

She nods in understanding. "I know it's hard, waiting for a Gym Leader to return. Especially someone as free-spirited as Roxie. Oh! That reminds me!"

Joy reaches under the desk and resurfaces soon, a beige envelope clutched in her soft hand.

"I received this from my sister at the Pokémon Center near the post office in Accumula Town. It's addressed to your name, and it's from someone named Dawn Berlitz."

Dawn's name chases all traces of boredom away from me as I shoot up from my seat. Pikachu jumps up, as well, wagging his lightning bolt-shaped tail.

"Dawn? She wrote back?!"

"I'm assuming," Joy answers. I race to the counter, where she hands me the envelope. "You two must be good friends, I'm guessing."

Holding the letter closely, which smells of fresh Sinnoh scent—poffins and Piplup perfume—I smile at her. "Only the best, you know. We traveled all throughout Sinnoh together. She's a Coordinator, actually. That means she competes in Pokémon Contests."

"Oh, I remember those!" Joy clasps her hands together, her pink eyes shining. "I went to Sinnoh for a vacation with my sisters, and we saw a Contest. They're absolutely beautiful! Tell your friend I'm rooting for her."

"I will."

I tear the envelope open with my nails, yanking out the white paper tucked neatly inside. Dawn's beautiful handwriting coats the page:

 _Alice,_

 _I'm so happy for you! I'm sending this letter to Virbank City, so I hope you get it._

 _I'm sorry about the Gym Leader, though. But no need to worry—she'll come back soon!_

 _Have you caught any new Pokémon yet? Have you made any new friends or rivals? Oh, and are there Contests in Unova? If there are, I'd love to go!_

 _Piplup and I miss you and Pikachu so much. Love you!_

 _Love, Dawn_

A small lump forms in my throat, but I force myself to swallow it. Reading her own words in her own handwriting makes me realize just how much I really miss her.

 _I wish you were here, Dawn..._

"You know," Joy speaks up, coaxing my head to snap up at her voice, "I bet you wouldn't say no to a bit of extra training in Virbank Complex, would you?" She winks at me before nodding to Pikachu, who's still sitting on the couch. "You two want to be ready for Roxie when she comes back, don't you?"

A smirk makes its home on my face at her words. "Of course! And once I reply to Dawn's letter, that's exactly what we're gonna do!"

* * *

I lean back in the chair at the computer desk in the nearly empty Pokémon Center, scanning the message I've just written out:

 _Dawn,_

 _I got your letter, thankfully!_

 _No, I haven't caught any new Pokémon yet. I don't have any Poké Balls with me! But I have made a new rival. Her name's Raven, and she owns a Purrloin. It's a sleek purple catlike creature with jade green eyes and tan spots. It's pretty, but a bit evil-looking. It kinda reminds me of Purugly._

 _Pikachu and I battled Raven and Purrloin just two days ago, actually. Pikachu won, but I have a feeling his little war with Purrloin isn't over—not by a long shot._

 _The Gym Leader's still not back yet. But Pikachu and I are going to go train in Virbank Complex to get ready for our Gym battle. We want to be able to sweep this Roxie right off her feet!_

 _And to answer your question, I don't think they have Contests here in Unova. But that shouldn't stop you from coming over and visiting!_

 _Pikachu and I send you our best! And Nurse Joy from Virbank City says that she's rooting for you in your Contests! We love you!_

 _-Alice_

I fold the letter up and slip it into a silver envelope. Then, I stand up from the desk and jog over to the counter in the center of the room, Pikachu right at my heels.

"Could you please send this to the post office in Accumula Town?" I ask Joy.

"Of course." She takes the envelope and places it under the counter, just like before. "Good luck with your training."

"Thank you very much." I kneel down and pick Pikachu up, cuddling him against my chest. "We're gonna beat Roxie when she comes back, right?"

His little yellow hand curls into a tight, determined fist. "Pika—chu!"

* * *

Now, Pikachu and I stand in the more rural areas of Virbank Complex. Tall bunches of grass sandwich our forms on the path, swaying slightly in the soft breeze. Pikachu's nose is held high in the air, twitching furiously, but he doesn't seem to pick up the scent of anything interesting.

"Pika," he sighs, looking over his shoulder at me.

I shrug my shoulders, disappointment creeping in. "It's okay. It's not like we could catch anything, though. Let's just practice some of your moves, okay?"

He sits up on his haunches and nods eagerly. "Pi—kachu!"

"Okay, then." My eyes scan the area before falling on a small tree. "Use Thunderbolt on that tree, okay?"

My buddy nods before crackling with electric energy. He releases a battle cry before pushing that built-up power out in the form of a lightning bolt. The surge of electric power hits the tree, shocking it and leaving a mark as black as charcoal in its trunk. A few berries fall from the branches, gathering around the tree on the ground.

"Nice work, buddy!" I kneel down and hold out my hand, to which Pikachu slaps his own paw against mine. "Now, let's try Iron Tail, okay?"

"Pika pika!"

He whips around, his tail glimmering with iron. Then, he charges right for the tree, leaping up once he reaches it. He swerves to the side, smacking his steely tail into the trunk. A few pieces of bark soar off the tree.

Beaming, I run over to him and place my hands on my hips. "You're quite the powerhouse, buddy."

He gives me a smile, but soon his face falls, and his dark brown eyes soon become interested in the ground. My heart crunches at the sight of my best friend looking so sad.

Pikachu and I used to train like this with Dawn and Piplup.

Piplup was almost like a little brother to Pikachu. The two of them didn't click right away, like Dawn and I did (for the most part), and they started an unhealthy rivalry, given that Piplup was a bit jealous that Pikachu was more experienced than the Water-type was. But when the two of them battled in my first battle with Dawn, Pikachu and Piplup both fainted, and they realized—after some convincing—they were better off as friends rather than rivals.

Since then, the two were nearly inseparable. If Pikachu was on my head, Piplup was on Dawn's head. If Piplup was tucked tightly in Dawn's arms, Pikachu was in my own arms. Because Piplup had a type disadvantage, Pikachu never used Electric-type moves on him. Because Pikachu was out of his Poké Ball all the time, Piplup had to be out of his all the time, except for flashy entrances for Contests.

Now, I somewhat regret allowing Pikachu to grow as close to Piplup as he did back in Sinnoh. I didn't realize we'd be leaving after a year or so in Dawn's home region, and I never thought of the heartbreak we'd both have to endure. If we'd just let them stay rivals, maybe the pain would be a little bit better to deal with.

Sighing, I kneel down to Pikachu and pet his head gently. "I know it hurts, being separated from them. But we'll meet up with them again, don't worry." But Pikachu shrugs, like he couldn't care less.

Suddenly, one black-tipped ear twitches, and his yellow head shoots up. Sniffing the air, Pikachu positions himself on his four paws, keeping his bolt-shaped tail low to the ground.

"What is it, Pikachu?"

My little Electric-type continues sniffing the air, ignoring my question. He turns to the right, where a few bushes rest on the grassy ground. As soon as his eyes meet the bushes, he lets out a low, threatening growl.

I jump a bit at the sound. In all the years I've known him, he's never sounded so fierce before! He's always been the cute, kind and sweet Pokémon people always think he is!

In a flash, he leaps away from my side and into the bushes. But before I can call him back (I don't know what kind of Pokémon is in there! It could be a Pikachu-eating creature, for all I know!), he jumps back out, his eyes wide with fear.

"Pika pi!" He dives into my arms, his yellow form shaking like a Poké Ball with a wild Pokémon inside. His eyes dart fearfully at the bushes, and when I look up, I see why.

Standing in front of the bushes is a Pokémon I've never seen before, not even in the Complex area: a small, sleek green creature with glinting red eyes slanted halfway. It has a tan underbelly and holds itself up with two stubby tan legs. A vine slips out dangerously from its green neck, and the creature bares its teeth at us.

The message is clear: _My territory. Get out._

Immediately, I stand up, and Pikachu scrambles up to my head, where he hugs my hat tightly. He still trembles as the green creature glares at us.

When I open my mouth to tell this Pokémon we mean no harm, though, my eyes land on a thin red ring around the creature's neck. It almost looks like a burn. A _rope_ burn.

"Uh, excuse me?" The creature swerves its green head up to meet my eyes. Its teeth still unveiled, a growl rumbles from its throat. "Are you hurt?"

It's not like I expected the creature to answer, but still, hearing it growl even louder makes me flinch. Suddenly, the vine from its neck extends fully, and it lashes out at me and Pikachu.

I jump to the left, hearing the vine crack like a whip right next to my ear. At this, Pikachu leaps off my head and positions himself in between me and the green Pokémon. His red cheeks spark with dangerous electric power, but the green creature doesn't back down.

"No, Pikachu!" I shout. Pikachu's head reels around to me, his eyes wide. "Leave it alone! Don't provoke it!"

Reluctantly, he steps away from the green creature, who is now crouched down, sleek green hands touching the ground. With what I hope is a softer expression, I turn to the creature.

"Listen, please. You're hurt, I can see it. You need to be taken to the Pokémon Center—"

The tip of the vine smacks into my face, colliding with my cheek. A yelp with a cross between surprise and pain escapes my mouth, and my hand flies up to my cheek, which throbs erratically.

 _It's got some power!_

Pikachu roars at the creature, but still, it doesn't back down. I throw my free hand out towards Pikachu, holding him back from attacking.

"It's okay!" I try again, meeting the green Pokémon's red eyes. "We're not here to hurt you! We only want to help you!"

But the creature lashes out its vine again, but this time, another one slides out of its neck. The vines strike my arms, which I hold up to shield my face.

"Pika pi!"

"Stay back, Pikachu! Don't anger it!"

Finally, the vines ease up, and I steal a look at my arms. Red welts decorate my pale skin, and the sleeves are slightly torn. The green creature pants heavily; if it wasn't tired before, it's absolutely exhausted now.

Through the pain in my arms, I kneel down and hold out my hand. As expected, a vine slaps it, painting a dark red gash on my palm. I wince, but nevertheless, I keep my eyes on the creature.

"You can trust me. I just want to get you healed up. I promise."

The creature's crimson eyes burn into my own, and its teeth flash, glimmering against the sun. But its body shudders, and the creature soon sinks to its knees.

"I promise. After you're healed up, we'll return you to your home."

As I keep talking, I begin to crawl towards the Pokémon. The tips of the vines are still aimed at me, but the creature makes no indication it'll attack or move away from me.

"We're going to get you help." I'm a few inches away from it now. "I promise. And then you can go back to your home. Help first, home second."

My outstretched hand brushes the creature's green head, and it flinches horribly under my touch. An icy claw of dread squeezes my heart painfully. Who could've done this to a Pokémon?! What caused those burns?!

I wrap my other hand around its slim yet small green body and lift it up. It sighs heavily, and the vines slip back into its neck. I hold the Pokémon close to my chest, feeling it shudder violently.

"Come on, Pikachu!" I yell to him. He shouts back to me in his Pikachu language before running off towards the Pokémon Center. I spring to my feet and follow him, the injured creature pressed against my chest.

* * *

The green creature is breathing slowly by the time the three of us reach the Pokémon Center. My grip tightens almost involuntarily as I pass through the pair of sliding doors that lead me into the Pokémon hospital.

"Nurse Joy!"

Pink hair reveals itself from behind the computer at the counter, and Joy gasps upon seeing the sleek green creature in my arms.

"Oh, my! What happened?"

"I don't know," I pant, leaning on the counter, "but please help it!"

"Right away." She takes the green creature into her soft arms before turning away to face the small room behind her. "I need your help, Audino!"

The door opens, and a medium-sized pink creature with a tan underbelly and a fluffy white tail that reminds me of cotton steps out. Its bright blue eyes widen at the sight of the green Pokémon.

"I need you to prepare an ointment suited for severe burns while I go and get her some warm blankets. It appears that this Snivy's in shock."

 _Snivy? That's the creature's name?_ When I look down to Pikachu, he merely shrugs his yellow shoulders.

"Aud audino," the pink creature chirps quietly. Judging by the voice, I'm assuming it's a female. She turns around and runs into the back room, Joy right behind her.

But before I can yell for Joy to come back, the door shuts tightly, cutting off any words I prepared to voice. I huff and drop my eyes to the ground, staring at my white boots.

 _A Snivy? I've never seen one of them before. I need to know more about it!_

* * *

About two hours later, neither Nurse Joy or Audino still haven't come out of the back room. Pikachu sits on the floor, pawing at one of the keychains on my backpack, while I lay horizontally on the couch, staring up at the white ceiling.

 _Why did that Snivy have burns on its neck? And why was it so hostile? And how come it's the only Snivy I've seen in Virbank Complex?_

I groan loudly, placing my hands over my eyes and gripping at my forehead. Too many questions, but no one will answer them. And I don't even have a Pokédex, so I can't look up any information on it that way.

Sitting up, I stare over at the bookshelf that's resting in the far corner of the Pokémon Center. Maybe there are a few books that can give me some information on Snivy.

Leaving Pikachu to toy around with the keychains, I spring up and jog over to the bookshelf. I run my fingers over the books, scanning the different fictional book series and boring nonfictional books.

There's the full _Arcanine of the Beyond_ series, complete with all six books and the follow-up trilogy; the _Zubat Knight_ trilogy, along with its many comic book companions; and classics I read as a kid, like _Burning Beauty, My Pal Ponyta,_ and the full _Sableye Wars_ novel series, with each of the nine books lined up in chronological order.

But no, I don't see a book with information on Unova's wild Pokémon, surprisingly.

Suddenly, the sound of the door of the back room sliding open coaxes me to turn my head to the side. Nurse Joy steps out, looking a bit tired. Her pink eyes meet mine, and she gives me a soft smile.

"Snivy will be fine. She just needs to rest."

I breathe out a heavy sigh of relief, but my mind is racing. _It's a girl Snivy, huh? Are they rare? Are they wild? Why haven't I seen one before? Never mind that, what gave her those burns?!_

"I've never seen one of those before," I admit to her, walking over and leaning on the counter. Pikachu bounds over to me, jumping onto the counter to stare at her, as well.

Joy bites her lip before sighing. "Well, they're not wild Pokémon, to start with. Not normally, anyway. You see, Snivy is a Grass-type, and one of the Starter Pokémon new Trainers can choose at Professor Juniper's lab in Nuvema Town, the other two being Tepig, a Fire-type, and Oshawott, a Water-type. But this Snivy isn't new to me at all."

I lean closer to her, hungry for more information. "What do you mean?"

"...Well, I suspect this Snivy's been, well... _abandoned._ "

My insides turn to liquid and my legs to jelly when this news reaches my ears. _Abandoning Pokémon is actually a thing?! How can Trainers be so sick?!_

"By who?!" My hands curl up into fists so hard they start to cramp up, but the pain is nothing compared to what Snivy must be feeling.

"I don't know the name," Joy admits, "but it was a female Trainer. She brought Snivy in around three days ago, just before you arrived in Virbank City. I believe Snivy had lost a battle with an Oshawott, and the Trainer simply didn't think she had the potential to become a great Pokémon. This is the first time I'm seeing Snivy without her Trainer, though."

I shut my eyes tightly, and my hands start to tremble. How could someone take an innocent Pokémon's life in their hands and throw it away like that, just because it simply lost a battle?! When I find this Trainer, I'm going to destroy her!

"But let's analyze the positives," Joy says softly, placing her hand over my tight fist. I freeze and look up, gazing into her sweet pink eyes. "Snivy's expected to make a full recovery, and she'll be ready to go back to her home by the end of the day."

After a second of staring at her, I force myself to nod. I'll busy myself with finding Snivy's Trainer when she's not cooped up in the recovery room of a Pokémon Center.

"Can I see her?"

It's Joy's turn to freeze, but she finally nods, an understanding smile on her face. "Yes, of course. Just be quiet."

* * *

Joy leads me into the recovery room, where soft blue beds with white sheets are lined up against the walls. Thankfully, there's not many Pokémon here. A Pidove sleeps soundly in a bed while Audino places new sheets on an empty bed nearby. A Patrat, which is a small, brown rodent-like creature with wide eyes and a tail that aims toward the sky, sits on a small stool nearby, watching Audino with an eager gaze.

Snivy rests in the farthest bed in the corner, a heart monitor hooked up to her sleek form. Her eyes are shut, but her breathing seems to be normal. The monitor beeps slowly, but in a regular pattern.

Her neck isn't bare of any burns; a thin red line wraps itself around her neck, standing out from her creamy tan skin. Again, my blood begins boiling at the sight of her injury.

"I don't think she'll have a scar," Joy assures me, placing her hand on my shoulder, "so any traces of the burn should go away in a few weeks. However, I'm not sure what causes it... She wasn't hooked up to anything when you found her?"

"No, but the burn did look a bit fresh."

"As it was. She must've broken out of whatever it was that was choking her right before she ran into you two. The burn _did_ leave a tight mark."

"Yeah..."

Joy sighs at my edgy tone. "Okay, sweetie, we should really let her rest. I'll let you know when she's awake, and if you still want to, you can talk to her when she is."

I open my mouth to object, but no sound comes out. I know there's no point in arguing with Nurse Joy or any of her sisters, for that matter.

* * *

When I check the clock in the Pokémon Center again, it's already dinner time. But I'm not feeling all that hungry right now, and I can tell Pikachu isn't, either. And that's saying something, given that we can both inhale a whole pile of berries fit for a Snorlax, and then be hungry an hour later.

 _Maybe I should give Mom a call..._

I place myself in the seat of one of the phones in the communication corner of the Pokémon Center and click it on. It warms up right away, so I don't hesitate to type in Mom's number.

As I pick the phone up and listen to it ring softly in my ear, I think back to Snivy's sleeping form. She hasn't woken up yet, which worries me to no end. I'm not trained like Nurse Joy, but I know that can't be a good thing. _She has to wake up so I can start looking for her old Trainer, and then I'll—_

"Alison Ketchum, you promised to call me as soon as you got to Unova!"

I flinch as Mom's livid voice bursts in my ear, and her angry face appears on the screen in front of me. I bite my lip and brace myself for one of her motherly tirades:

"And here I wait, for _two days,_ might I add, for my own daughter to call me! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?! You promised you'd call me to let me know you were okay, and then you blow me off like I'm nothing! And for what, might I ask?! Did you meet anyone who encouraged you to completely skip out on your promise to call me?!"

It takes all I have to restrain an annoyed sigh from slipping through my lips. I totally forgot about promising to call her once I came here. "I know, Mom. And I'm sorry, I really am. But you see—"

"No," she says sharply. "No buts, young lady! I don't care if you made a new rival or something, that doesn't excuse you from blowing me off!"

I stay silent at that.

She pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs heavily. Her tirades usually cause her to require a nap afterwards, as she doesn't really yell at me a whole lot.

"Mom," I try again, "I'm sorry. I forgot, and I'm really sorry! Pikachu and I met this Trainer and battled her, and, well..." My voice trails off hopelessly. There's no way out of this one.

"I assume," Mom begins after a moment, "you made it to Unova safely, then?"

"Yes, we did."

"That's good." She clears her throat and shakes her head, now sporting a bright smile. "Well, then, what's happened so far, since you've forgotten to keep me updated?"

Giving my lip one final jab with my teeth, I begin to explain: "You see, Pikachu and I battled this Trainer named Raven, and she had a Purrloin. It's a purple catlike Pokémon with dark green eyes, and hers was really strong. But Pikachu and I won the battle. And then today, we found an injured Pokémon in Virbank Complex. Nurse Joy says it's a Snivy, and that it's really rare to find any Snivy out in the wild."

Her pretty blue eyes flash urgently. "Is it okay now? Nurse Joy was able to treat it, right?"

"Yeah," I tell her. "Snivy's fine now. She's actually a girl, and according to Nurse Joy, she's one of the three Pokémon new Trainers can get in Nuvema Town from someone named Professor Juniper."

Mom nods as my words seem to sink in. "I see. Maybe you should meet up with this Professor Juniper if you come across Nuvema Town. I recognize the name from one of...your father's letters he used to send every month."

Again, I refuse to huff and roll my eyes. Until I reached the age of eight, Dad used to send letters to us from Unova. Mom never let me read them myself, but she'd tell me he was doing fine, and that he wished us the best. I always thought she'd made that last part up, though. Possibly just to make my eight-year-old self feel better.

"Well," Mom sighs, "I've gotta prepare dinner. Make sure you eat—you look like you haven't eaten in hours! That's not like you, sweetie."

 _A mother always knows..._

"Yeah, I will," I reply, leaning my head on my arm. "I'm just waiting for Snivy to wake up. Once I know she's okay, I'll take care of myself."

"Okay," Mom says, her voice edging with doubt. "Bye, honey. I love you!"

"I love you, too, Mom."

The screen clicks off, and I hang up the phone, sighing. No matter how many times I'm separated from Mom, getting off the phone with her and seeing her friendly face disappearing into blackness always leaves a twinge of loneliness in my chest.

Pikachu suddenly jumps up onto the desk and rubs his head against my arm. I give him a small smile before petting the spot between his ears, causing him to coo in delight.

"I'm gonna see if Dawn's home, okay, buddy?"

His ears perk up at our fifteen-year-old friend's name, and he nods eagerly, cheering and jumping up from the desk. His yellow bolt-like tail wags at the thought of seeing Piplup again.

"Alright, buddy." I laugh and give him another pet on his head before typing in Dawn's home number. The last time we saw each other, she was back in her home in Twinleaf Town with her mother, Johanna. Knowing her, she's probably still in Twinleaf Town or in Jubilife City, preparing for a Contest.

The screen clicks on after the phone rings for a few seconds, and the dark yet warm eyes of Johanna meet my own. A smile fits snuggly on her face; she's a natural at prize-winning smiles.

"Hello, Alice! How are you!"

"I'm fine, thank you. Is Dawn there?"

I hate brushing her off to speak to her daughter, since she's always been so nice to me, but Johanna merely smiles and waves her hand. "Yes, in fact, she is. Dawn!" She turns to the left, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Dawn! Someone's on the phone for you!"

The sound of footsteps and soft panting reach my ears. "Who is it?"

Johanna smiles and moves away. "See for yourself, hon."

As Johanna moves away from the screen, the familiar face of Dawn Berlitz takes her place. With one look at the screen, she gasps loudly and nears it, shoving her face towards mine.

Well, not really, but you know what I mean.

"Alice!" She smiles widely, her blue eyes, so much like her mother's, sparkling lively with happiness. "Hi there! How are you?"

"Lup?" In a second, Piplup's blue face appears from under her. He takes one look at Pikachu and cheers, waving to his friend. "Lup pip—lup!"

"Pika pika!"

"I'm good, Dawn. How about you?"

"We're doing okay. No need to worry! Actually, Piplup and I were in Jubilife City, and we won another Contest Ribbon!"

"That's awesome! Wait, _another_ Ribbon?" I raise my eyebrow at this. The last time I checked, she had five Ribbons.

"Yeah," she answers proudly. "We've got three new Ribbons so far, actually. We're gonna compete in the Grand Festival next year!"

"Lup!"

I can't help but chuckle at their combined determination. Both Dawn and Piplup are serious about winning their Contests and showing off how stunning and amazing they are, but all I can do is support them as much as I can. Sometimes I can't help but think there's so much more I could do for them, though.

"I'm really happy for you two."

She gives me a smile before turning serious. "So, the Gym Leader isn't back yet, huh?"

"No." I sigh, hanging my head. "Have you heard anything from her band or whatever they're called?"

Dawn's quiet for a moment, and then she says, "Actually, they were in Jubilife City while we were doing our Contest training. I think they said something about finishing up, but I wasn't exactly at the concert myself, you know."

I shrug, giving Pikachu another pet. "I don't have a problem waiting, though. Not right now."

"Why? What's wrong?" Narrowing her eyes, Dawn nears the screen. "Have you caught any misbehaving Pokémon?" I shake my head, and she smirks lightly. "You forgot to bring Poké Balls, didn't you?" When I shrug, pouting like a child, she chuckles. "Of course. That's so like you, but we love you anyway. Don't we, Piplup?"

"Piplup!"

"Come on, tell me what's wrong."

I bite my lip and meet her pretty blue eyes, which match her dark blue hair so well. "Pikachu and I came across an injured Pokémon—a Snivy. She was hurt pretty badly, and she had burns around on her neck. Nurse Joy's helping her now. She said she should be fine, but she hasn't woken up yet."

Dawn's face softens, and her eyes meet the ground. "Oh. ...What do you think caused the burns?"

"I don't know," I tell her, shrugging my shoulders. "It looked like a rope burn, almost."

Suddenly, a soft knock on the wall snaps my head up, and when I look up, Nurse Joy is standing near the doorway. Audino stands at her side.

"Snivy's awake now. If you still want to talk to her, I think she'll be up for it."

I send her a nod and turn back to Dawn. "Snivy's awake. I'm gonna go check on her, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you later! And don't forget to write!"

"Pip—lup!"

"I won't. Bye!"

"Pika!"

The screen shuts off, the blackness swallowing the faces of our best friends. I sigh and shut the phone down before standing up and turning to Joy.

"Snivy's awake?"

"Yes. She'll be ready to leave in the morning. Could you bring her back to Virbank Complex tomorrow?"

I frown at her request. "Why would—"

"Sometimes," she cuts me off, "when Pokémon are abandoned, they'll wait for their Trainers to return. It might not be healthy, but if anyone stops them, they can become quite violent and hurt themselves and others even further."

I shut my mouth, avoiding her pink eyes. I'm not the biggest fan of the idea of letting Snivy continue on waiting for her Trainer that will never return, if that's what she was originally doing, but if that's what she truly wants, I guess I have no say in the argument. It's Snivy's decision; I can't deprive her of making her own choices.

"I will. I'm gonna go talk to her, okay?"

"Of course."

* * *

Snivy sits up in the small blue and white bed in the recovery room, a thin wire that leads up to a heart monitor is attached to her small green arm. Her heart rate seems to be normal, but then again, I'm not a doctor.

I sigh and sit down at the end of the bed, feeling the warm blankets melt under my body. "How are you feeling, Snivy?"

"Vy," she answers curtly, not meeting my eyes. Her heart rate stays the same.

"So, uh...I'm gonna take you back to Virbank Complex tomorrow, okay? Is that okay with you?"

"...Vy."

* * *

The next morning, after a sleepless night and an extremely light breakfast, Pikachu and I walk back into Virbank Complex, Snivy in my arms. The red ring around her neck is still visible, but it's much less pronounced than it was yesterday.

"Okay, girl, here you go." I place her down in the grass, right near the bush we found her in. Surprisingly, she looks back at me, her hands on her hips.

 _She's sassy. I like that._

"You'll be okay out here, right?" She nods curtly once more, half-glaring at me through her red eyes. "Well, uh...if you want to... Wanna come with me?"

She looks genuinely surprised: she steps back, her eyes growing wide. But there's no hostility in her expression or body language, which is a good sign, I hope.

"I mean, I don't have any Poké Balls with me," I add quickly and quite sheepishly. "But still...well, do you?"

Although I expected it, when Snivy shakes her head, I feel a twinge of hurt explode in my chest. Of course. She must want her old Trainer. If that's her choice, though, I have no place to try to convince her otherwise.

"Okay, then. I get it. Well..." I sigh again, feeling my chest squeeze painfully "...I guess I'll see you around."

Snivy grunts softly before turning away from me. She disappears into the bush in a flash, leaving a few rustling leaves in her path.

"Pika pika?" Pikachu taps my leg softly before jumping up onto my shoulder. "Pika ka?"

"I'm fine, buddy." I swallow, wipe my wet eyes with the back of my hand, and turn to him with a forced smile. "Let's go work on those moves like we planned to yesterday, okay?"

* * *

"Alright, now use Iron Tail!"

His tail gleaming with a silvery color, Pikachu jumps and swipes his metal tail directly into the nearby tree, chips of bark soaring off. He lands on the ground, panting slightly, but nevertheless, proud of his work.

"Nicely done, buddy," I compliment him, jogging up to where he stands. "Now, try Thunderbolt on that same spot."

He nods before expelling out a powerful bolt of electricity. The bolt smashes into the tree, charring the chipped spot.

"Awesome!" I cheer, jumping up and punching the air. "We're totally gonna win that Gym battle now!"

Pikachu sends me a smile, but suddenly, he arches his back and growls at the tree, his red cheeks sparking. I look over to see a familiar small brown creature near the tree, glaring at Pikachu.

"A Patrat?" I whisper. I raise my eyebrow at the lone Pokémon. _The ones I've seen so far usually travel in packs, though._

And just like that, more Patrat slide out from behind the tree, one by one. Their black tails pointed upwards, they creep over to us, soon surrounding us from all directions.

 _We must've disturbed them when we hit the tree..._

I force down a gulp and scan the area with wide eyes. There's too many of them for Pikachu to take on! And even if we were to attack, they'd overpower us in a split second!

"Patrat pat pat!" one of them screams, baring its sharp teeth. I swallow thickly again and brace myself for what it might feel like when those teeth finally sink into my skin.

"VY!"

Suddenly, two vines lash out, swiping across several Patrat in a single sweep. The Patrat shriek and whip around, only to face a furious-looking Snivy.

"Vy snivy vy, snivy!"

The Patrat begin to tremble, and before I know it, they race off in the opposite direction. Pikachu huddles against my leg, staring at Snivy with large brown eyes.

Once the Patrat have vanished altogether, Snivy's vines slip back into her neck. She sighs and places her hands on her hips, shaking her head, almost as if to say, "What am I to do with you two?"

"Y-you saved us," I blurt out stupidly. Snivy nods shortly, smirking lightly. "Thanks, Snivy!"

She shrugs before walking closer to us. She nods over to me, pointing to my belt.

"Wait, what? Oh— Oh, I get it!"

Smiling, I kneel down to her level. "Snivy, do you want to come along with me?"

Snivy smirks once again. "Snive."

Pikachu bounds over to her and smiles in a friendly manner. "Pika pika, pikachu."

He holds out his paw, and after staring at it for a moment, Snivy places her slim green hand in his. "Vy, snivy vy."

I give Pikachu a scratch between his ears before turning back to the Grass-type. "Well, I hate to say it, but I don't have any Poké Balls with me at the moment. But will you still come with me?"

Snivy gives me one final smirk before jumping onto my outstretched arm. "Vy."

 _I'll take that as a yes, girl._ "Welcome to the team, then, Snivy!"


	3. Alice vs Roxie—Virbank Gym Battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in relation to Pokémon. I only own Alice, my OC.**

* * *

3 - Alice vs. Roxie—Virbank Gym Battle

"Snivy's your Pokémon now, I assume?"

"That's right, Mom. She's all healed up and ready to take on any opponent."

My mother smiles at me from the screen of the phone in the Pokémon Center. While Pikachu rests on my right shoulder, Snivy is perched on my left. Both Pokémon snuggle against me, keeping my cheeks warm.

But Mom's face falls a bit, and she adapts a serious tone: "Any word on the Gym Leader yet?"

"Actually, yeah!" I'm nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. "Nurse Joy told me earlier Roxie just returned from Sinnoh with her band. She told me to not challenge before noon, though, as they probably need some time to settle back into the routine."

"Of course," Mom chuckles. "Well, I have to go for now. I wish only the best of luck for you, sweetie. Go get 'em!"

"I will, Mom. I love you!"

"I love you even more."

The screen dims, and the connection is severed. I hang up the phone before turning to Snivy. "Ready to show 'em what you're made of, girl?"

Snivy smirks, her red eyes glinting. "Vy."

* * *

It's now a few minutes after noon, and the three of us stand outside the Gym. The small door stares back at me, the doorknob with its chipped paint taunting me to open it.

I inhale deeply and breathe out, trying to calm my heart. My first Unova Gym badge is on the line. If I lose this battle, I'll never be able to make it to the Unova League.

 _"It's about to get a whole lot tougher in the real world, kiddo."_

Raven's words buzz in my ears like a hoard of Beedrill. Opening my eyes again, I grasp the doorknob tightly and twist it. The door opens with ease, so I walk in.

Pikachu tightens his grip on my shoulder, and Snivy leans closer to my neck. She sniffs the air, her pointed nose facing upward.

A small flight of stairs leading downward rests out before us. I look to Pikachu, then at Snivy, and finally walk down the stairs. There, I'm met with another door, but this one looks even more battered than the first.

But nevertheless, I run over to it and push it open. Just in time to hear a voice blare out:

"LILLIPUP'S UNABLE TO BATTLE! KOFFING WINS IT!"

Immediately, I release the door, my hands flying up to my ears. Pikachu and Snivy shut their eyes tight, their hands piled over their own ears.

But as soon as I shut my eyes, I reopen them, forcing them into a tight glare. Forget about noise! My first Gym badge isn't going to wait around for me!

With all my might, I reach my leg up and slam my foot into the door. It swings open, and what I see makes my jaw drop.

A large battlefield rests below yet another small flight of stairs, and at least fifty people crowd around it. A Trainer about a year younger than me with brown hair, a yellow jacket and blue jeans stands on the field, a fallen brown and tan puppy Pokémon in front of him. Across from him on the field hovers a Koffing—a Pokémon from Kanto I know all too well. A band made up of three people stand behind it, a girl with white hair in front of them. The two others, a man and a woman, play the drums and another guitar, as well. Loud music rocks my chest from the speakers above.

The song playing suddenly comes to an abrupt stop (I'm not that familiar with the songs of Unova punk bands yet), and the crowd cheers loudly. The white-haired girl, who I realize now has a bass guitar strapped around her, waves to them.

 _Is_ _ **she**_ _the Gym Leader?!_

Once the cheering dies down, the girl with the Koffing goes to the boy, who returns his Lillipup solemnly. With a smile tinted with pride, she turns to the crowd.

"Let's give it up for our brave challenger, and all his brave Pokémon!"

She chuckles and claps, and the crowd soon follows. The boy jolts in surprise, but then sighs in defeat. "Thanks for letting me challenge you," he mumbles.

"No problem!"

The boy turns away and runs up the stairs, passing me as he bursts out the door. As he brushes past me, I can see the slightest glimmer of tears in the corners of his eyes, which are shut tightly.

 _Poor kid..._

"Hey, you!"

It's my turn to jump, and my head swivels to the white-haired girl, who smirks in my direction. Now that she's closer, I can get a better look at her.

She wears a violet and blue-striped dress that reaches down to her knees, and a small section of her short white hair is pulled up in a ponytail, held together with a hairband with matching blue and purple beads. She sports black boots that rival the area just below her knees, as well, and her blue eyes glimmer with mischief. The guitar that's now swung over to face her back is black and purple. She places her hands on her hips and smiles at me.

"How's it goin'? You're lookin' at the Virbank City Gym Leader: Roxie~."

I gulp and force myself to smile at her. "Hi! Um, well, I'm Alice. Uh..." I shake my head, clear my throat, and start again: "I'm Alice, and I challenge you to a battle!"

Roxie raises her eyebrow, but her smirk never abandones her tough face. "Is that so, kid?"

"Yup. You see, I want to enter the Unova League, and this is the first Gym I've been to. So, if you're not busy, will you?"

At the meek ending of my sentence, Roxie laughs. "Of course, kiddo! But just a fair warning: it only gets harder from here on out. Are you sure you're up to the challenge?"

I swallow another nervous lump and nod. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Then it'll be a two-on-two battle. Cool with you?"

"Yeah, I guess."

But she shakes her head. "No, don't guess, kid. _Do._ Be confident in yourself! If you're not, you'll never be able to go as far as you want!"

I bite back a smile before nodding. "Okay, if you say so. It's a deal, Roxie!"

"Alright then, kiddo! LET'S ROCK!"

I step down the stairs, and Pikachu and Snivy jump off my shoulders. As I take my place on the battlefield, my palms become sweaty.

 _If she plans on using Koffing, Snivy's at a huge disadvantage, since she's a Grass-type. They're weak against Poison-types like Koffing. And I have no doubt she has another Poison-type Pokémon up her sleeve._

Roxie backs up towards her band and smirks as Koffing lowers himself in front of her. "Kick us off, ref!"

"You've got it, Roxie!" Suddenly, a man wearing a leather jacket and jeans runs up to the side of the battlefield. He holds up his arms and announces the rules of the Gym: "The Virbank Gym battle is about to begin. It's a two-on-two battle, and the battle is over when both Pokémon on either side are unable to continue. Furthermore, only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon."

The white-haired Poison-type Trainer nods to him. "You rock hard, ref. Now, opening up the show is KOFFING!"

Koffing zooms forward, laughing as it does. Judging by how it sounds, with its deep laugh, I'm assuming it's a male Koffing.

"Snivy," I speak up, kneeling down to her, "are you ready?"

She nods and sends me a smirk. "Vy snivy snive."

"Then go, girl!"

Snivy cheers and races forward, placing herself in front of me on the field. She crouches down, her sleek green hands touching the ground, and her leaf-shaped tail points downward.

Roxie stifles a giggle, and her bandmates follow her lead. "You're using a Grass-type against my Poison-type? You've got courage, I'll give ya that. Either that, or you're desperate."

"I'm not desperate at all," I shoot back, a bit more defensively than I intended. "Don't underestimate my Snivy."

"If you say so, kiddo."

The referee lifts his arms and shouts, "Battle begin!"

As the crowd cheers wildly, Roxie jumps right into shouting a command. She doesn't waste a precious second. "Koffing, use Assurance!"

Koffing glows a dark gray color and dives towards Snivy at an incredible speed.

"Snivy, protect yourself with Vine Whip!"

Her vines snake out of her neck, and as Koffing nears her, Snivy slaps them onto him, holding the advancing Poison-type back. This action causes the crowd to gasp, and even Roxie looks a bit perplexed.

"Yes!" I shout as Snivy bounces back, Koffing's attack now useless. The Poison-type stares at us, his eyes wide with confusion. "I told you not to underestimate my Snivy!"

"I wouldn't be too sure," the guitarist from behind Roxie says, a smirk on her face. "You've got guts, kid, but don't get cocky."

Roxie nods at her words, a smirk creeping up on her face. "And don't you dare underestimate my Koffing. Use Smog!"

Koffing smiles widely before spitting out a dark gray cloud of smoke. Snivy coughs as she's enveloped by the smoke, and suddenly, she gasps and chokes. A purple mark settles in on her green snout.

"What's that?!" _She can't be already—_

"Your Snivy's been poisoned, kiddie," Roxie says proudly, shrugging. "I hate to break it to you, but your luck just ran out. Use Tackle, Koffing!"

Koffing zooms forward again, and this time, slams into Snivy. She cries out and falls on her back, wincing as dust clouds around her. She coughs violently, purple sparks emitting from her sleek green form.

"Finish it up with Assurance!"

"Quick, use Vine Whip!"

But Roxie smirks. "Too late."

Despite Snivy leaping to her feet and slapping at Koffing with her outstretched vines, he slams into her yet again, knocking her down. She falls on her side, black swirls on her eyes.

"Snivy!" _She can't be done already!_

The crowd cheers loudly yet again, and the referee yells out, "Snivy's unable to battle. Koffing wins!"

My eyes stay glued to Snivy's fallen form, roaming her poisoned body and swirly eyes. _Our first battle together, and we lost. If this is how it's gonna be from now on, we've got a long way to go..._

"Snivy," I whisper, kneeling down. Through the ferocious cheering from the crowd, Snivy hears me, and forces herself up onto her feet. "It's okay, girl. Return for now."

She nods and walks over to me at a slow pace. Once she's near me, I take her into my arms and hug her closely to my chest.

"You did your best, girl. We'll just have to train harder, that's all." I stand up and walk over to the staircase near the door, and place her down on the ground. "You rest right here, okay?"

She opens her eyes and smiles weakly. "Vy."

I give her a final pet on her head before retreating back to my spot on the field. "This battle isn't over yet, though. There's still a chance we can win." I look down to Pikachu, who paws at the ground. "Ready, buddy?"

"Pi—ka!"

Pikachu jumps forward onto the field, his red cheeks crackling with tiny electric sparks. Koffing laughs, though, as usual, and Roxie merely smirks.

"Goin' for the Electric-types now, huh? It'll still have the same result, just so you know."

I grit my teeth together. She's reminding me of Raven a lot right now! "That's what you think! Pikachu, start this off with Thunderbolt!"

"Use Smog!"

Pikachu expels a brilliant bolt of electricity, and Koffing spits out a cloud of smoke tainted with poison. The two attacks collide, not damaging either of their intended targets.

"Now, use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu runs forward, an electric cloud enveloping his body. Sparks and jolts radiate off his body as he leaps up, and he lets out a fierce battle cry as he collides into Koffing's unsuspecting form.

Roxie gasps fully this time, but I punch the air and cheer, "Yes! Keep it up and use Iron Tai!"

As fast as a lightning bolt, Pikachu reels around, his tail glistening with iron. He smacks his steely tail into Koffing, causing him to fall to the ground.

Roxie's blue eyes flash. "Get up, Koffing! Come on!"

"Finish up with Thunderbolt!"

Smirking, Pikachu lands on the ground, but before Koffing can lift himself up, he shocks the Poison-type powerfully. Koffing screams out before falling to the ground, black swirls identical to the ones on Snivy settling on his eyes.

The referee gasps, and then gulps before stuttering, "K-Koffing is unable to battle! The winner is Pi-Pikachu!"

The crowd groans, and despite my expectation that they're all Roxie fans, a twinge of hurt stabs my chest. But the victorious smile on Pikachu's face chases it away.

"Nice job, Pikachu!"

 _One down, one to go. And no matter what her next Pokémon is, Pikachu can handle it. I know he can!_

Roxie shakes her head and sighs, holding out a Poké Ball. "You rocked hard, Koffing. Great job. Take a good rest."

Koffing's sucked into the device by a jet of red light, and Roxie clips it back onto her belt.

"Not bad," she says, nodding. "I'm impressed, kiddo. Few people manage to get past Koffing. But that doesn't mean my other Pokémon isn't high-leveled, as well," she adds slyly, retrieving another Poké Ball. "Whirlipede, GO!"

She tosses the Ball, which explodes in a flash of blue and white light. A curled-up violet creature with dark magenta markings and slanted yellow eyes appears before her, growling low in its throat.

"This is Whirlipede," Roxie introduces it proudly, "and she's one of my best. You've got guts if you're still eager to take on such a powerful opponent."

Smiling, I place my hands on my hips and retort a bit sassily, "Thanks, but we've got this in the bag. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Protect, now!"

Pikachu expels another bolt of electric power, but suddenly, his attack is blocked by a shiny blue shield that forms around Whirlipede's form. Pikachu stops abruptly, his brown eyes wide.

 _It's just like Purrloin. We can't use long-distance attacks..._

"Whatever! Pikachu, try Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" And Pikachu surges forward, air racing behind him in bunches of thin, silver trails.

Roxie doesn't give Whirlipede a command, given she has plenty of time to. But she just stands there and allows Whirlipede to get slammed in the side by Pikachu.

"It's a hit!" I cheer, jumping up and down. "Nice job, buddy! You've got— PIKACHU!"

My heart drops as Pikachu staggers back, looking a bit woozy. He sways unsteadily on his paws as a faint purple mark melts on the area above his nose.

"He's poisoned?!"

Roxie smirks, which stretches into a full laugh. "You see, my Whirlipede's Ability is called Poison Point. Making any direct contact with her risks the chance of poisoning her attacker. You won't defeat my poisonous Pokémon _that_ easily, kiddo."

My stomach churns when Pikachu sinks to his knees. _What can I do?! We've got to attack, but I don't think he's up for it!_

"Whirlipede, finish up with Venoshock!"

Whirlipede jumps and spins around in the air, and a sludge of gooey green acid spits out from one of her horns. It smacks right into Pikachu, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Pikachu, no!"

My Electric-type falls on his stomach, shaking violently. He tries to push himself up onto his paws, but sinks to the ground, black swirls coating his eyes.

 _No..._

"Pikachu's unable to battle. Whirlipede wins it! And that means the match goes to Roxie, the Gym Leader!"

The crowd erupts into a flurry of cheers and scream, and Roxie punches the air and waves at them. Whirlipede chuckles at the praise, and she retreats to Roxie's side, where she's greeted with a friendly pat.

My knees feel like they've resorted to jelly, but I refuse to fall to the ground. I don't want to show that I'm weak. Not in front of this many people.

Instead, I run to my fallen Pikachu, who winces as I pick him up. "Are you okay, buddy?"

He forces his eyes open, and smiles just as another spasm of purple sparks seizes him. He shudders against my skin, burying his face in my chest.

"You know what?" My head snaps up at Roxie's voice. She smiles, but there's no gloating in her expression, which reassures me. "I like you, kiddo. I'm looking forward to battling you again, if you're up for it."

It takes me a while to respond, as I swallow down the urge to burst into tears like a sore loser. "Y-yeah. I'd like that."

And with that, I turn away and walk out, but not before scooping up Snivy and holding her close to me, as well. I finally allow a few tears to fall as I step out of the Gym, clutching my poisoned Pokémon to my heart.

* * *

 _Dawn,_

 _So, a lot has gone down since I last talked to you. First, the Snivy we rescued has fully recovered, but guess what? She's become one of my Pokémon now! Of course, I don't have any Poké Balls to officially capture her, but she listens to me in battle and everything, so I think we're starting to bond!_

 _Also, the Gym Leader came back. She's specializes in Poison-types, and when we challenged her today to a two-on-two battle, we lost. Pikachu took out her Koffing, but lost to her Whirlipede (it's a rolled-up, purple creature with magenta markings). Snivy fainted first, sadly, so I'll have to check in on her when she heals up._

 _Right now, Pikachu and Snivy are with Nurse Joy. I plan on training with them later in Virbank Complex. We need to figure out a way to counter those Poison-type moves, as well as Snivy's type disadvantage._

 _I have to go. Nurse Joy's calling me now. Bye! I love you! Tell Piplup I said hi!_

 _-Alice_

* * *

Now, Pikachu and Snivy stare at me while I sit on top of a large rock in Virbank Complex, my legs crossed and my arms folded across my chest. I look at Pikachu, then at Snivy, then back at Pikachu, and then back at Snivy.

"Koffing's a pure Poison-type," I tell them, "so I think Snivy should take care of him." Snivy frowns at this, and doesn't make any attempt to hide it from me. "But only because Whirlipede is a Bug _and_ Poison-type, and you could take _double_ damage from her!" Snivy huffs and crosses her arms, mimicking me. I try to not laugh at that. "Okay then, what other moves do you know, Snivy?"

She rolls her eyes and stands up, a vine slipping out of her neck.

"Well, duh, I know you can use Vine Whip, silly. What _other_ moves can you use?"

Snivy smirks, and backs away from the rock. She charges for Pikachu, slamming into him with full force. Pikachu yelps out and jumps back, his cheeks sparking playfully. Snivy smiles at him, flicking his nose with her vine.

"Okay, that's Tackle, right? That's a good move, but it'll still get you poisoned, since Whirlipede's Ability is Poison Point." Snivy puffs out her cheeks, glaring at me. "Listen, girl, I know you want to battle her, but I don't think we can afford another loss at that Gym, okay? So, unless you find a way to hurt her without actually _touching_ her, we'll do it my way, alright?"

Snivy suddenly bares her teeth at me, which makes me jump in surprise. A small twister of wind gathers at her tail, which points straight up to the sky.

Leaves begin joining the wind, and soon, a full tornado of leaves swirls around at the base of her tail, stretching up above her.

My mouth drops open as she brings it down towards me. I shriek and dive off the rock, just as the tornado smashes into the rock.

Panting, I look over my shoulder at the ruins of the rock. Tiny sharp leaves litter the area where the now broken rock once stood proudly.

 _Rocks... Bugs aren't affected by leaves...but they're affected by rocks!_

"Snivy, I think I have an idea."


	4. Battling Toxicity Once Again

**Thank you all for reading/reviewing/favoriting! It really means a lot to me!**

 **Also, Happy New Year! Let's hope and pray 2017 is a much better and safer year than 2016!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Pokémon. I only own Alice.**

* * *

4 - Battling Toxicity Once Again

"It's nice to see you came back for a rematch, kiddo," Roxie says from across the battlefield. Her hands are glued to her hips, and Koffing hovers over her shoulder, releasing deep, throaty laughs. "That takes real courage. Most would just run away."

"Thanks," I reply, "but I'm not one of them. This time, we're gonna win."

Roxie smirks, her blue eyes slanting mischievously. "We'll just see about that."

She nods to the side, and the referee from yesterday runs up to the field. "Alright, the Virbank Gym rematch between Roxie and Alice is about to get underway!" At his announcement, the large crowd cheers loudly. "Each side will use two Pokémon, and when both Pokémon on either side are unable to continue, this battle is history! Okay, then, LET'S ROCK THE HOUSE!"

Roxie smirks and yells, "Koffing, LET'S GO!"

Koffing surges forward, laughing almost hysterically. His eyes dart from Pikachu to Snivy, both of whom stand next to me.

Taking a deep breath, I turn to Pikachu. "Ready to go, buddy?"

"Pika pika."

I nod to him before turning to Roxie. "And my Pokémon's Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu runs forward and growls, his tail pointed to the ground. His red cheeks spark furiously with electricity.

 _If Koffing uses the same moves he used last time, our strategy's bound to work!_

"You have the first move," Roxie says, shrugging her shoulders at me. "Attack from wherever you want."

I nod, and then shout, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu lets out a fierce battle cry before leaping up. His tail gleams as iron conquers his soft yellow flesh. Flashing a smirk in my direction, he whirls around and smacks his tail right into Koffing, causing the Poison-type to cough and stumble in the air.

"It's obvious to see you've been training," Roxie compliments me, wearing a smirk of her own, "but still, that alone isn't enough to bring Koffing down. Use Smog!"

"Quick, use Thunderbolt!"

Koffing spits out a dark gray cloud with a purple tint, and Pikachu shoots out a bolt of electric power from his yellow body. The two attacks collide, but some of the smoke sprays over to Pikachu. He jumps to the side, though, avoiding any possible poison from the cloud.

"Koffing, use Tackle!"

 _Perfect!_

Cackling deeply, Koffing zooms forward for Pikachu. But one look and a nod from me makes my Electric-type smirk and hold his ground. He allows Koffing to slam into him, but staggers slightly.

Roxie blinks with confusion, but shrugs. "Whatever, kiddo. You snooze, you lose. Tackle again, Koffing!"

The Poison-type surges forward again, hitting Pikachu right in the side. My Electric-type falls to the ground, but springs up to his paws almost immediately. Koffing looks baffled for a moment, but another nod from Roxie sends him throwing himself against Pikachu again and again.

 _Any minute now..._

"You're losing that spark, kid," Roxie calls to me. "Where's that all-attack and no-talk attitude of yours?"

"It'll resurface in a moment," I tell her, crossing my arms over my chest. "Just you wait."

But Roxie just rolls her eyes. "If you say so, kid. Koffing, finish it up with Assurance!"

Koffing smirks, but suddenly, he freezes in midair. Yellow electric sparks shoot out from his round purple body, and he scrunches up his face in pain.

Roxie's blue eyes flash as she gasps. "Koffing, what's wrong?!"

"Static," I say bluntly, a smirk crawling up to my face. "It's Pikachu's Ability, like Whirlipede's Poison Point. You poison your opponent, so I paralyze mine."

Her jaw drops, so I snatch this opportunity to yell a command:

"Now, use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu gallops toward Koffing, electricity enveloping his small yet agile body. He leaps up towards the paralyzed Poison-type, slamming into him head-first. Koffing cries out as he's thrown to the ground, landing with a hard thud.

"Keep it up with Iron Tail, buddy!"

Still hovering in the air, Pikachu's tail glows with iron. He twirls around before diving, smashing his steely tail right into Koffing. Dark smoke pours out from the impact, so I'm forced to veil my eyes with my hands.

Once I'm sure most of the smoke has cleared, I uncover my eyes. I see Pikachu standing triumphantly over a fallen Koffing, the Poison-type's eyes conquered by large black swirls.

"Oh, no! Koffing is unable to battle. Pikachu's the winner!"

The crowd grumbles to themselves as Roxie returns Koffing, but I'm over the moon with joy. "We did it, Pikachu!"

Pikachu cheers as he jumps into my arms, and I hug him tightly. After I squeeze him tightly, he leaps down to the ground, where he slaps his paw against Snivy's sleek green one. She winks at him, her red eyes glimmering.

"Snive vy vy?" She looks up at me, her eyebrow raised.

"Don't worry," I assure her, kneeling down and petting her head, "your turn will come up. Now, Pikachu, get back out there and show 'em who's the boss!"

He nods, holding out his little yellow fist. "Pika, pikachu!" I smile and bump my own fist against his, and Snivy soon joins us in the friendly gesture.

As Pikachu races back onto the field, I stand up, and Snivy's short green fur bristles, her slanted red eyes locked onto Roxie. The Virbank Gym Leader nods to us, though.

"I'm officially impressed, kid," she says, unhooking another Poké Ball from her belt. "You managed to turn the battle on us by using your own status condition weapon. But," she adds with a sly smirk, "you might have defeated Koffing, but I'm not planning on losing this battle."

I meet her smirk evenly. "Then bring it on, Roxie."

"With pleasure. Whirlipede, COME ON OUT!"

She throws the Poké Ball with all her might, and Whirlipede appears once more. She still looks as strong as she did yesterday, but she looks even more fired up than usual.

But neither Snivy nor Pikachu don't cower under her yellow glare. No, they know we've got a plan up our sleeves. We're ready to take on Whirlipede and win.

"I'll go first this time," Roxie says. "Whirlipede, use Pursuit!"

Her dark purple coat dims into a dark gray color, and she begins to roll forward like a steamroller.

"Jump, Pikachu!"

Pikachu leaps up and over the oncoming Pokémon, landing on the ground behind her. But Whirlipede swerves around and charges straight for him from behind.

"Again, buddy!"

He jumps up again, his paws barely grazing Whirlipede's steely coat. He pants heavily once he lands, but Whirlipede doesn't stop. She charges for him again, and his brown eyes go wide.

 _We can't keep this up forever!_ "Block it with Iron Tail!"

He slams his steely tail into Whirlipede just as she reaches him, but he's thrown back to the side of the field, screeching. He lands on the dirt hard, wincing as he struggles to his paws.

An icy claw takes hold of my chest. "Get up, Pikachu!"

But Roxie smirks and calls out, "Use Venoshock!"

Whirlipede angles herself so that one of her thin horns points right at him. A ball of gooey green sludge shoots out, hitting Pikachu square in the face.

"PIKACHU!"

But he falls, his brown eyes coated with dark swirls. Purple sparks shoot off his yellow fur, and a purple mark settles in above his nose.

"Pikachu's unable to battle. Whirlipede wins it!"

The crowd cheers loudly this time, and I run over to Pikachu, Snivy at my side. I scoop him up into my arms, hugging him close.

"Are you alright, buddy?" My baby doesn't answer, which sends my heart into a frenzy.

"Here!" My head shoots up at Roxie's voice, and she stands there on the field, a familiar pink berry clutched in her hand. "Catch!"

She tosses it, and I grasp it tightly in my hand. A Pecha Berry. At the sight of it, Pikachu reaches out for it with his little hands, so I lower it down to his level. As he chews through its pink skin and sips the juice, Roxie sends me a wink.

"It's a present," she laughs. "I don't exactly like seeing Pokémon suffer from poison when their battle's over."

I raise my eyebrow at this. _Then why didn't she give Snivy a Pecha Berry after she lost her battle yesterday?_

"Send out your next Pokémon, then."

I bite my lip and stand up, holding Pikachu close to my chest. I quickly retreat to my spot on the field, Snivy at my side. Placing Pikachu down near the stairs, I head back to the field, and nod to Snivy.

"You're gonna win this, okay?"

She nods curtly, her red eyes no more than tiny slits. "Vy."

I smile at her, and she runs onto the field. Whirlipede chuckles throatily as my Grass-type bristles her green fur and points her tail upward.

Roxie frowns slightly, though. "You're still going with Snivy?" But she shrugs. "Whatever. It's your choice, kiddo. Whirlipede, use Pursuit!"

Whirlipede curls herself up and charges right for Snivy. But she holds her ground, growling and baring her teeth.

"Snivy, use Leer!"

Snivy's glare intensifies, and bright red shadows cast over her eyes. Whirlipede skids to a stop as they lift off her eyes and hit her. The Bug and Poison-type flinches, sweat sliding off her steel coat.

Roxie jolts at this, her jaw dropping. "Snivy knows Leer?!"

"Of course!" I shout back. "You see, thanks to our loss yesterday, we were able to train a bit, which opened up some new opportunities and tactics we could use against you. Now, use Leaf Tornado!"

A twister of leaves and wind begins swirling at the tip of Snivy's tail. With a shout, she slams it down on Whirlipede, who's crushed under the weight of the twister.

"That did double damage, since Whirlipede's Defense is lower now, thanks to Leer," I reveal proudly. "And with Leaf Tornado, there's no way Snivy can get poisoned with Poison Point."

Roxie closes her mouth and nods, a soft smile on her face. "Clever, kid. Pretty good. But is that all you've got?" My smirk vanishes at her words. "Remember, I'm a _Gym Leader._ Whirlipede, use Poison Sting!"

Whirlipede smirks and shoots out a thin purple knife from one of her horns. My heart drops, but lifts back up quickly as Snivy throws me a desperate look from over her shoulder. Her message is crystal clear:

 _Do something, quick!_

"Leaf Tornado, now!"

Snivy rapidly swirls up a twister of leaves, and spins around speedily. The poison knife slams into the wall of leaves, leaving Snivy absolutely unharmed.

I breathe out a sigh of relief, and Roxie gasps loudly. "But how?!"

I send her a smirk. "It seems we're protected from any kind of poison you throw at us altogether, Roxie. Now, are you ready to go, Snivy?"

She gives me a sly smirk over her shoulder. "Vy."

"Then use Vine Whip on the field!"

As Snivy's vines slip out of her neck and lengthen fully, Roxie's eyes widen. "What are they trying to do?!"

Roaring, Snivy slams her vines down onto the field. Small rocks and pebbles soar up and out of the ground, gathering around her. Whirlipede looks on with wide yellow eyes.

"Now, toss them up!"

She snakes her vines under the rocks and lifts them up. They hover high in the air briefly before soaring down.

"LEAF TORNADO!"

Snivy then whips up another twister of leaves, catching some of the pebbles and rocks in the spray of sand and wind. She swishes the twister right at Whirlipede, knocking the Poison-type right off her feet and sending her flying in the air.

Roxie gasps again. "Whirlipede, no!"

"Finish up with Vine Whip!"

Snivy lashes her vines out, slapping Whirlipede repeatedly before slamming her into the ground. Whirlipede lets out a throaty scream before she hits the field, dust and sand exploding in clouds from the impact.

Once it clears, Whirlipede lays there on her side, black swirls on her face.

 _Oh my..._

"It's impossible!" the referee gasps. "Whirlipede is unable to battle. Snivy's the winner, which means the victor is Alice, the challenger!"

The crowd's stunned silence is soon chased away by a chorus of ear-shattering cheers. Snivy sways on her feet, smiling but exhausted. And it isn't long before she falls to her knees.

Immediately, I'm at her side, and I pick her up gently. "Snivy, that was an amazing battle! Thank you so much, girl!"

I pull her into a hug, and surprisingly, she wraps her tiny green arms around my neck and snuggles into my chest. And not long after that, a familiar yellow weight jumps onto my shoulder, and Pikachu rubs his nose against my cheek.

"You guys did it," I whisper, moving my arms so I'm hugging them both tightly. "You're the best! I love you so much!"

Pikachu coos, and Snivy hums at my praise. But the sound of footsteps scuffling the dirt coaxes my eyes to trail up, where Roxie walks over to me, Whirlipede at her side.

"Well done, kiddo," she says, nodding to me. I feel my cheeks heat up at her words. "Using the field and those rocks was smart. You overcame your type disadvantage quite easily. That tells me you're really going to succeed in Unova."

I bite my lip, feeling Pikachu and Snivy shifting in my arms to look at Roxie. "Well, uh... Thank you, Roxie. That really means a lot to me."

"No problem!" She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small purple badge made of metal. When she holds it up, I realize it symbolizes poison bubbles. "Here's the Toxic Badge. It proves you've beaten me, and it also proves you're ready to take on anything that stands in your way."

My teeth sink into my lip once more before I accept the badge, feeling its cold exterior melt into my burning skin. "Thanks, Roxie." A warm, glowing sense of pride overcomes me, and I hold up my new badge high in the air. "I just got the Toxic Badge!"

"Pi pikachu!"

"Snivy vy!"

I close my fist around my first Unova Gym badge, but my smile suddenly vanished when I remember something that bothered me earlier. "Uh, Roxie? How come you have Pikachu the Pecha Berry today after his battle, but didn't give one to Snivy after she lost to you yesterday?"

Roxie's eyebrow raises, but she soon smiles, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Yesterday, I could tell you and your Snivy didn't have full confidence and trust in each other. By losing to me and Koffing, I knew Snivy was feeling deep hatred. But I didn't give her a Pecha Berry, because I didn't want her to feel weak. It was your duty to strengthen the bond between you two. And after today's battle, it seems you did just that." Still smiling, she reaches over and pets Snivy, and then Pikachu. "Looking at your Pokémon now, I guarantee you'll go far in this region. Just keep your head up, and don't let anything trip you on your way."

I nod once more, hugging my two Pokémon close. "I won't. Thank you so much again, Roxie,"

She gives me another smile, and then winks at me. "No problem. You're not half bad, Alice, you know? Make us proud, kiddo."

 _Don't worry, Roxie. I plan to._


	5. Trek to Nuvema Town

5 - Trek to Nuvema Town

 _Dawn,_

 _I won my first Gym badge! I challenged Roxie to a rematch and won the Toxic Badge from her. We're one badge closer to entering the Unova League!_

 _I feel like I need to catch up to you, since you already have three Ribbons to enter the Grand Festival, and I only have one Gym badge. But with Pikachu and Snivy at my side, we're bound to catch up quickly!_

 _I don't know where we'll be heading to next. But I'm going to start heading to Nuvema Town to see Professor Juniper. She might know something about my Snivy, like who she was originally given to._

 _Good luck in your Contests! Send Piplup my best, too! We all love you!_

 _-Alice_

* * *

With my letter to Dawn safely in Nurse Joy's possession back at the Pokémon Center, Pikachu, Snivy and I sit on one of the benches near the Virbank Gym. Pikachu rests on my shoulder while Snivy sits in my lap. In my hand lays my first Unova Gym badge.

"Just seven more to go," I tell them, pinning the shiny purple badge to the inside of my jacket. "It may seem like a long journey, but we'll have all eight badges before you know it. And there's no way we're gonna fail if you two are with me."

Pikachu swishes his tail, and Snivy smirks, resting her hands on her green hips. The two of them look so proud of themselves, of our first win, of our first Gym badge.

"You might wanna check your confidence."

I flinch at the familiar, sharp voice, and sigh before trailing my eyes up to meet the dark yet gorgeous brown eyes of Raven, her hands shoved into the pockets of her skater dress as she walks over to us, a smirk on her face. Her Purrloin's wrapped around the back of her neck, a sly smile plastered on her purple feline face.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask her, raising my eyebrow. I struggle to keep my voice calm and cool; I don't want to sound antagonistic right away like I did in our last meeting.

"I mean—" She lifts her hand to pet Purrloin's cheek "—confidence doesn't get you far in Unova. Especially not the unhealthy kind."

I frown at this. _But didn't Roxie say the exact same thing a few days ago? Which one of them is right?_ "Then I assume you think I have no chance of surviving, do you?"

"Oh, no, I _know_ you'll get crushed out there," she replies in a snarky voice. "Personally, I'm surprised you've managed to earn your first badge. You know, since you're from Kanto and all."

Pikachu growls at her, springing off of my shoulder and landing on the ground in front of me. Snivy bares her teeth, as well, positioning herself to stand in between me and my new rival.

Raven raises her eyebrow at my Grass-type. "How did you get a Snivy? You can't find one out here, no matter how hard you look. They're only native to the professor's lab in Nuvema Town."

A sudden thought flashes in my mind, and it makes me sick to my stomach. _Snivy was abandoned by a female Trainer, right? Could Raven be...her original owner?!_

"She was abandoned," I reply coldly. Snivy grunts in response, not seemingly bothered by my harsh choice of words. "Abandoned by a female Trainer. Do _you_ know anything about that?"

It's Purrloin's turn to show off her fangs, and Raven shoots me a ferocious glare. "Are you implying that _I_ would abandon a Pokémon, Kanto girl?! Never in a million years! That's only the hobby of a real sick person, if you ask me."

I stand up from the bench, holding Snivy in my arms. "No offense, but I don't really believe you. Snivy," I turn to my Grass-type, "is she your original Trainer?"

Luckily, Snivy shakes her head, but doesn't relax her glare. Personally, and I hate to say it, I'm glad Raven's innocent. There's no telling what I would do to her right now if she was guilty of that crime.

She rolls her eyes and sighs. "Are all Trainers from Kanto this stupid and quick to jump to conclusions? Whatever. I saw your win at the Gym yesterday, by the way."

"Really?" I'm genuinely surprised for a moment, but raise my eyebrow. "I didn't see you there. Why were you watching me?"

"I was in the crowd. And I wanted to see how you handled yourself in a Gym battle. But I have to say, to be honest, I'm not that impressed with your win."

My jaw drops, and I feel my face explode into redness and heat. Snivy snakes up to my shoulder, where she growls darkly. "What do you mean, you weren't impressed?! I don't battle to impress you, or anyone, for that matter, you know!"

"I know," she replies bluntly. "It's just the way you handled your type disadvantage with Snivy. I mean, _anyone_ could've thought of smashing the field and using those rocks the way you did."

"Oh, and _you_ could've thought of the same thing on your first try, couldn't you?"

"Well, yeah," she says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. She suddenly diverts her eyes from mine, slanting them in thought. "Actually, though, I wouldn't, because I wouldn't have picked a Pokémon with a type disadvantage in the first place."

My hands curl up into right fists. "It was a two-on-two, and I didn't have much of a choice! Besides, Snivy proved she was incredibly strong!"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have needed to if you'd just gone with a Pokémon who was strong against Poison-types. Next time, do a bit of research before you go jumping head-first into a battle against an opponent you know nothing about."

"There's more to winning a battle than type advantages!" I fire back at her. "And I believe Snivy has already proved that."

"Vy," my Grass-type speaks up, crossing her arms over her tan chest.

Raven sighs heavily, lifting her hand up to her forehead. Purrloin sighs, as well, shaking her purple head. "You don't get it, and honestly, I don't think you ever will. Unova's not like Kanto, sweetie. You can't just prance around the region with weak Pokémon and poor strategies and expect everything to turn out alright in the end. You've got to expect that you'll lose every time! Confidence is _not_ healthy here!"

"Then tell me," I growl dangerously, "what would _you_ have done in my situation?! Tell me what I possibly did wrong. You know, so I can improve later on to please you!"

She shoots me a death glare before saying sharply, "First, I would analyze my opponent and their chosen Pokémon. Gym Leaders around here usually limit themselves to one type, so it's easy to pick Pokémon that have advantages over them. Using Pokémon with disadvantages, like having Snivy go up against Whirlipede, only stretches out the battle. You want a clean, quick finish. No lingering on the field."

"That may be _your_ battling style, but I'll battle the way _I_ prefer, thank you very much! Besides, how many badges do you currently have?!"

"That's irrelevant," she brushes my question off quickly. "This conversation is focused on _you._ If you possessed a cooler head, you would see that I'm just trying to help—"

 _I'm going to explode!_ "Helping me?! All you're doing is criticizing me and telling me I'm doing everything wrong!"

"Girls!"

At the strange feminine hiss from the side, Raven and I turn our heads to the right, where a tall blonde woman stands near us. She wears a dark blue jacket that matches her eyes over a white shirt and a pair of black capris. Her long hair is held up in a high ponytail, which hangs over one shoulder.

"Lower your voices," she hisses to us again. "You're creating a scene."

Indeed, when I look around with burning cheeks, a few people are already staring at us. Eyes dart curiously from Raven to me, and some people just scoff and walk away, mumbling about kids these days.

Raven crosses her arms over her chest. "Anyway, Alice," she says in a quieter voice, "don't take criticism personally. Expect it. Learn from it."

"But at the end of the day, it's _my_ battling style," I shoot back, "and _you_ don't have any say in it!"

The blonde woman sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Come on now, girls, this isn't the time for—"

She suddenly gasps, and when she does, Pikachu scurries up to my other shoulder. The woman stares at him, her dark blue eyes wide with curiosity.

"Is that a Pikachu?" she half-whispers.

"...Yeah. Why?"

Raven stifles a giggle, as does Purrloin, but the woman merely smiles and straightens herself up. "You see, Pikachu are incredibly rare in the Unova region. Oh! How rude of me. I'm Laura. I apologize if I startled you or your Pokémon."

Pikachu smiles, and Snivy shrugs. "It's okay. As long as they're fine with it. I'm Alice, by the way."

"I'm Raven," my rival butts in, shoving herself next to me to smile at Laura. "And this is Purrloin." The catlike creature purrs at the blonde woman.

Laura smiles at us. "Well, you two sure harbor some powerful Pokémon. That Pikachu of yours looks like it's been battling for many years. And that Purrloin seems like it has speed that can rival no other."

She looks at Snivy, but suddenly stops. Raising her eyebrow, she crouched down slightly to peer at my Grass-type. She lifts one of Snivy's green arms, still staying silent. Snivy slants her red eyes, challenging the blonde to make another move.

"If you don't mind me asking," she says, standing up, "where did you find this Snivy?"

"...Right in Virbank Complex. According to Nurse Joy, she was most likely abandoned by her old Trainer."

Laura nods, her blue gaze softening. "I see. I won't pressure you or Snivy into any prying questions, but if you don't mind, would you like to accompany me to Nuvema Town? I'm on my way to Professor Juniper's lab."

But before I can speak, Raven pipes up, "No offense, but you seem a bit too old to be getting your first Pokémon."

I slam my elbow into her arm, to which she replies with a jab at me with her own elbow. But Laura merely chuckles at my rival's vocal fearlessness.

"I'm not going there for that," she says, smiling. "I work there as an assistant to the professor. I usually help out with the Starter Pokémon and raise them until they're old enough to be given away to new Trainers. And while I don't recognize this Snivy here, I believe the professor might. She's got one brilliant memory, that woman."

I look at Pikachu, and then at Snivy. We were on our way to Nuvema Town already, but now the trip seems a bit more fun with a friend.

"We could come with you," I tell her. "We were heading to Nuvema Town anyway. Do you know if there's a Gym there, by any chance?"

Raven rolls her eyes and sighs. "Of course there's not. Wow, you really don't know the first thing about Unova, do you? You know, you're a bit of a little kid."

But just as I turn to pound the rudeness out of here, Laura's voice stops me: "Oh, you're not from Unova?"

"No," I reply, flashing a glare in Raven's direction. "We're from Pallet Town in the Kanto region."

"I see." But just as I brace myself for another sludge of Kanto comments like the ones I get from Raven, Laura just smiles softly. "Well, that explains why you've got a Pikachu. I've never met someone from Kanto before. What kind of Pokémon do you have there?"

"We've got so many you can't count 'em! We have Pidgey, Spearow, Caterpie, Growlithe, Vulpix, Beedrill, Butterfree—"

"Are you done?" Raven snaps, sending me a fierce glare. "I thought we were going to Nuvema Town."

 _Wait, what?_ _ **She's**_ _coming, too?!_

"You're coming with us, as well?" Laura voices my thoughts.

Raven reaches up and strokes Purrloin's head once more. "Yeah. I'm in need of a Pokédex, and I was wondering if Professor Juniper could supply me with one."

"Oh, I'm sure she could! But we should get moving; the boat to Nuvema Town leaves in about a half hour. Let's go!"

She begins running over past the Pokémon Center and in the direction of the Virbank Harbor. Raven follows her, Purrloin swishing her sharp purple tail. Glaring at the back of my rival's head, I trudge reluctantly after them.

* * *

Now, about thirty minutes later, just like Laura said, we're on the boat to Nuvema Town. It's not a large boat, but it's not tiny, either. It's quite cozy, and it's got enough room for a battle on the deck.

Not many people are gathered on the boat, so I ask Laura about this. "Not many people live in Nuvema Town to begin with," she answers me. "It's not exactly a tourist attraction, like Castelia City or Nimbasa City. But don't let its population fool you; it's very warm and cozy, and the residents there love new visitors!"

I nod, staring out into the waves. Virbank City is no more than a dot now, and I can't help but feel a bit sad to say goodbye to it. Virbank City was the very first city in Unova I stepped into. It'll always be special to me.

"Oh, hang on," Laura says, turning away from me and Raven, who now leans on the railing. "I have to talk to the captain for a minute."

As she leaves, Raven shrugs and turns to me. Purrloin leers at me with glinting jade eyes. "Don't look so sad," she gently snaps. "It's part of being a Trainer, leaving a city after spending time in it. Look forward to the many new cities and towns you'll get to visit."

"I know that," I growl, "but it was the first city I visited in Unova. I haven't explored any of the region yet except for that one city."

She scoffs before turning away to look out into the distance. Her black hair, which is pulled up into a tight bun, flutters in the breeze. Purrloin slinks down her arm and onto the railing, where she grips the metal rod with strong purple paws.

I follow Raven's lead, watching Virbank City disappear into the bright blue sky. Salt from the waves sprays up and onto my face, causing me to blink rapidly.

"You know," I speak up, "I haven't battled anyone since I battled Roxie yesterday. And I'm kind of itching for one right now."

She sighs heavily. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"Are you backing down?"

"Never!" She steps away from the railing, glaring at me. "You're on!" Purrloin also jumps back from the railing, baring her teeth.

Smirking, I run to the opposite end of the deck, Snivy and Pikachu at my heels. Once I'm a good distance away from her, she unclips a Poké Ball from her belt.

"It'll be a one-on-one, okay?"

"That's fine with me!"

"It better be," she growls. "Lillipup, come on out!"

She throws the Poké Ball, and in a radiant blue flash, a small light brown and tan puppy Pokémon appears, its stubby tail wagging furiously.

 _It's adorable!_ But I quickly shake my head and turn to Snivy. "Ready, girl?"

She sends me a smirk and nods. "Vy."

She races out onto the deck and crouches down, pointing her tail up. She growls lightly, her two vines slipping out dangerously from her neck.

Raven smirks before yelling out, "Lillipup, start off with Bite!"

"Intercept with Leaf Tornado!"

Lillipup lunges for Snivy, its teeth bared, but Snivy whips around, a tornado of leaves and wind formed at her tail. She spins, the tornado smacking into Lillipup and sending it back towards Raven.

"Clever," Raven says, clenching her hands. "Lillipup, keep up the pressure! Use Tackle!"

"You use Tackle, too!"

Lillipup charges, and so does Snivy. Both Pokémon cry out as they slam into each other, bouncing back upon impact. _Their power's equal so far. It's a tie._

"Lillipup, use Take Down, now!"

"Counter with Leaf Tornado!"

A golden shield of fierce power forms around Lillipup, and with a roar, it runs towards Snivy. But Snivy's ready, as she spins around once more, protecting herself with a twister of leaves.

Lillipup fights through the leaves, but slows down considerably. The golden shield dissolved, and Lillipup stands there, its sharp teeth bared at Snivy.

Raven nods to me. "You've trained that Snivy well so far. But your winning streak is now over! Lillipup, use Attract!"

 _Oh, no!_

Lillipup's fierce look fades away, and he winks cutely at Snivy, who jolts in surprise. A flurry of pink hearts twirls around Lillipup before floating over to Snivy. They surround my confused Grass-type before melting into her fine green skin. She suddenly smiles, her red eyes replaced with light pink hearts.

 _She's infatuated!_

"Snivy, snap out of it!" I shout at her. But she merely sways on her feet, completely lovestruck with Lillipup.

Raven smirks at this. "Now, Lillipup, use Take Down!"

That bright golden shield returns, and Lillipup charges right for Snivy. But this time, she can't defend herself, and he slams right into her sleek green form.

Snivy yelps out as she's thrown to my feet, but the pink hearts still stay on her eyes. I bite my lip at the sight of her. _We can't lose this battle!_

"Lillipup, let's end this with Bite!"

Lillipup races towards Snivy once again, his jaws opened threateningly. He lunges and locks his teeth around her neck. She screams this time before falling limp in his jaws. He releases his hold on her and allows her to slump to the ground, black swirls on her eyes.

 _I think I preferred the hearts on her eyes rather than the swirls..._

Raven places her hands on her hips as Lillipup races over to her. She kneels down and pets him, and he wags his tail as she scratches his head.

I pick up my fallen Snivy and hold her close to me. "Are you okay, girl?" She forces her eyes open and smiles weakly, nodding to me. I give her a quick hug before letting her rest on my shoulder.

"We're one-and-one now," Raven says proudly, standing up. "Your Pikachu beat my Purrloin, so my Lillipup beat your Snivy. How's _that_ for a taste of real Unova strength?"

I frown at her as Pikachu scampers up to my other shoulder. "I thought you said confidence wasn't welcome in Unova."

"It's not confidence," she says, shrugging. "It's merely stating the facts."

I roll my eyes at her. "Whatever. But it won't be the same result next time."

"We'll just see about that, Kanto girl."

* * *

 **4/23/17**

 **I'm very sorry this update is so late! I've been preoccupied with preparing for college in the fall and writing end-of-the-year papers for my writing and politics classes, as well as working on other stories I may publish on this site (a new TMNT 2012 one and a lengthy, packed-with-backstory Sing (2016) one). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, though!**

 **And thank you so very much for 158 favs, 137 follows, and 310 reviews on _Best Wishes!_ You guys are just amazing for sticking with me for so long! **

**Bye! I love you all very much! And thank you once again!**

 **P.S. How would you guys feel if I started one of those 100-theme/word writing challenges...but having it deal with _Sunsetshipping...?_**


	6. Enter Hilbert and Touko

**7/29/2017**

 **Hi!**

 **It's been a while, hasn't it? To be honest, with all this drama about getting into college and whatnot, this story (and my others) kinda took a backseat. But I was able to write up this chapter (and the next one) so I could publish it for you guys. I'll try to upload the next chapter in the next few days.**

 **And news about _Best Wishes_ : it's still going on, but I need a little more time to finalize chapter 82. It's hard to write when your heart's really not into it (the current episode, that is). ;)**

 **Anyway, thank you all so very much for sticking with me all this time. You've helped me reach 165 favs, 143 follows, and 313 reviews on _BW_ \- an incredible slew of numbers I would've never thought I'd reach. i love each and every single one of you. 3**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, or any of its characters/settings/plotlines. I only own my character, Alice.**

* * *

6 - Enter Hilbert and Touko

"We will be docking in Nuvema Town Harbor shortly. Please take this time to gather all of your belongings. Watch your step as you disembark, as well."

I look up from my current page on _Shadow Arcanine,_ the second book of the original _Arcanine of the Beyond_ series, and quickly fold the corner of it. I slip the book back into my backpack, zip it up, and stand up from my spot on the deck, slinging the backpack over my shoulders.

Pikachu and Snivy begin chasing each other around the deck, giggling like children as they paw at each other. Snivy yanks on Pikachu's bolt-shaped tail, but he whirls around and grabs at her nose. She laughs at this before lightly smacking him with her vines.

I smile at my two Pokémon, tightening my grip on my backpack straps. I'm lucky they've gotten along together so well so far. They're almost as close as Pikachu and Piplup are. ...Okay, maybe not _that_ close, but you know what I mean.

Meanwhile, Laura stands next to me as she fiddles with a notepad, furiously scrawling out notes with a black pen and mumbling to herself. "Okay, the Tepig with the red band needs his ear medicine today at precisely four o'clock, the Oshawott with the silver band needs to be fed those little pills to help with his stomach problems, and the Snivy with the orange band needs her daily dose of vegetable pellets with extra vitamins..."

I open my mouth to ask her what she's doing, but Raven beats me to it: "What's that?"

Laura jumps, but regains her composure and smiles at her. "Oh, I always have to write out notes for myself, so I can look back on them later on. You see, I'm in charge of nearly _all_ the Starter Pokémon at the lab, and you'd be surprised to see how many of them there actually are."

Raven shrugs before petting Purrloin, who's curled up in her arms. "That stuff doesn't interest me all that much."

I frown before speaking up. "Then what _does_ interest you? What's your dream?"

My raven-haired rival (no pun intended) looks at me silently for a second before answering, "I don't have a dream. I have a goal. Dreams are for dreamers, plain and simple. Goals are for people who want to take them seriously and achieve them for real. There is no dreaming involved. Just _doing._ So, it's not what my dream is, but what my _goal_ is. And that is to become a Pokémon World Champion."

I don't know what I frown at more: her attitude or her main "goal" in life. "Like, the Champion of the Unova region?"

"No. Well, yes, in a way, but a Champion that conquers _all_ known regions in the world. A strong Trainer that's recognized throughout the entire world and looked upon as one of the greatest."

"...So, it's kind of like being a Pokémon Master. And you plan to do this with Purrloin at your side?"

Her gorgeous chocolate eyes flash threateningly, and her lip curls up ever so slightly. "What do you mean by that, Kanto girl?" Her voice is no more than a growl.

I flinch at her chosen tone and rip my eyes away from her form. "Nothing. It's just...I plan on reaching my goal to become a great Pokémon Master with Pikachu at my side. As well as all the other Pokémon who've gotten me this far." Snivy swishes her tail, her and Pikachu now looking up at me.

The muscles in Raven's face relax, but she doesn't release her glare completely. "Don't think I won't include my other Pokémon, either. They're just as deserving of any reward or high status I may earn."

I open my mouth to respond, but Laura holds out her hands, blocking us from one another. "Alright, that's enough, you two. We must get going. We'll be in Nuvema Town in no time."

* * *

The boat pulls into the small harbor of Nuvema Town, which is, just as Laura described, a cozy little town not big enough to be a city, but more detailed than Pallet Town or New Bark Town in Johto.

Laura's one of the first ones to disembark, with Raven and Purrloin right behind her. With Snivy and Pikachu on my shoulders, I follow after my rival, who cradles Purrloin in her arms.

As I step off the ramp and onto the pavement of the dock, I inhale deeply, taking in the Nuvema scent. The town smells like slightly-burnt meat and fresh flowers, as well as newly-cut grass. It's a... _different_ smell, but it's just as welcoming as it is strange.

"Which way is it to Professor Juniper's lab?" Raven questions.

 _She doesn't miss a beat._ "It's a bit further down the road," Laura answers her, "towards the more rural parts of town. You'll be able to see it at the end of the road. It's a big orange building with golden windows. You can't possibly miss it!"

"...Are we walking to the lab, then?" I ask her. Pikachu tilts his head, and Snivy looks up expectantly at the blonde.

Raven rolls her eyes for what seems like the millionth time today. "Why? Scared of walking? Of getting that pretty white jacket dirty? Or those white boots? Being a Trainer's _supposed_ to be about getting a little bit dirty every now and then. This isn't Kanto, Ketchum."

"I know that!" I snap at her before she can go any further. "I've been traveling for almost five years! I'm just asking a question!"

"One you shouldn't be asking."

"Quit it, girls," Laura scolds, tightening her long ponytail. She sighs, letting her hands fall to her sides. "You two are quite a handful, you know that? And to answer your question, Alice, no. We won't be walking."

I raise my eyebrow in confusion. "But I—"

"I _do_ have a car, you know," she says, giving me a wink.

* * *

Now, the three of us are driving in Laura's trusty red truck. It's one of those trucks that lacks a proper roof, but it comes with a tarp to pull over during the rain or snow. Sure, it's coated with paint chips and has dusty tires, but it's sturdy and moves at a speedy pace. It's quite a fine vehicle, once you look past all the rust.

I sit in the front seat next to Laura, and Pikachu and Snivy sit in my lap. Surprisingly, Raven and Purrloin have taken to the back of the truck. She insisted.

"Don't you want to sit in the front—"

"No, alright?" She had shut me down quickly with a fierce glare, climbing into the back seat with Purrloin. "I just don't want to." I had just shrugged it off and climbed in next to Laura.

Numerous Patrat scurry along the side of the road in packs. An unfamiliar Pokémon with tiny black hooves, white legs and a beautiful light brown coat leaps through the bundles of grass, prancing proudly near the Patrat.

"What kind of Pokémon are they?" I ask Laura.

She sneaks a glance over to the Pokémon and smiles. "Oh, those are called Deerling. You see those orange coats they have? That's their Autumn Form. Deerling are Pokémon that have the ability to change their appearances depending on which season it is. As it's fall, they have orange coats that represent autumn."

"Really? That's so cool!" _We don't have Pokémon like that in Kanto!_

But Raven shrugs nonchalantly in the back seat. "Eh. I've seen cooler."

I bite my lip to keep myself from retorting smartly. _Ignore her, just ignore her._

* * *

It's not long before Laura pulls up to the front of the lab: a large orange and white building with dark golden doors. The three of us pile out of the truck and walk up, only for the doors to slide open and allow us to step in.

The air is cool, and the entire interior is polished and sparkling. Numerous hallways lead further into the monstrous yet comforting lab.

"This is the main hall," Laura tells us, reaching over to grasp a lab coat on a coatrack near the entrance. "It's usually where the professor—"

"Laura Linden! Where have you been?!"

The blonde flinches and turns around, and Raven and I follow her gaze. In storms a woman with dark blue hair and glasses, and wears an identical lab coat, as well. She places her hands on her hips and glares at Laura.

"You're twelve minutes late today, as usual," she adds with a sneer. "What would the professor say about that?"

But before Laura can snatch up the opportunity to retort, another voice speaks up:

"I'm sure the professor wouldn't mind very much, now would she?"

Both girls turn to see another young woman walk in, with light brown hair pulled up in a bun and sparkling cyan eyes. She wears a faded silvery lab coat pulled over a bright white shirt and light green skirt. She wears white shoes with red straps, as well as a slightly stern look.

"Come on now, Oran," she says to the bluenette with glasses in a teasing tone. "Don't pressure Laura. I'm sure she has an excuse as to why she's always late."

Laura's pretty face flushes, and Raven and I exchange looks. Is this the professor we've heard so much about?

Raven doesn't miss a beat, as usual: "Excuse me, but are you Professor Juniper?"

The cyan-eyed woman doesn't even jolt at my rival's sudden question, like Laura and Oran do. She just smiles and nods.

"Yes, I am. I'm Professor Juniper, as you might've guessed already. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, as well. I'm Raven, and this is Purrloin." Said catlike creature purrs as she slinks up to her usual spot on her Trainer's shoulders.

My rival gives her a small smile, and gently shakes the professor's hand. A bit flustered (I don't use the word _jealous_ ) that she's getting extra attention, I step forward once she releases the professor's hand, grinning widely.

"I'm Alice, and I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. It's very nice to meet you, professor!"

"Pika!"

"Snivy vy."

Juniper chuckles and pets Pikachu and Snivy, and then Purrloin. "Likewise, Alice. My, you two seem to have unique Pokémon. Although..." Her face slightly falls. "I don't recall you ever coming to my lab for a Snivy."

My heart sinks at the thought of having to explain the story again, especially in Snivy's company. But she gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, so I begin my explanation:

"You see, Pikachu and I found her in Virbank Complex a few days ago. Nurse Joy thinks she might've been... _abandoned_ —" I nearly whisper the last word "—and we were wondering if you would recognize her, by any chance."

Juniper leans down to look at Snivy, who peers at her through slanted scarlet orbs. She hums to herself before straightening back up, placing her hands upon her hips.

"In fact, I _do_ recognize this Snivy, but I'm sorry to tell you I don't remember _who_ I originally gave her to."

I bite my lip, awaiting any sudden reaction Snivy might have, but the Grass-type merely nods and snuggles deeper into the crook of my neck. I exhale deeply, smiling.

Juniper smiles, as well. "Well, whenever a Trainer brings back an abandoned Pokémon, I usually take it back to my lab to live there."

My heart nearly stops. _Please, don't make me give up Snivy! We've already been through so much together!_

"But seeing how she's become so fond of both you and your Pikachu," Juniper finished with a smile, "I think it's best if you take care of her instead. She'd be much happier with you than with the other Pokémon here. Isn't that right, Snivy?"

"Vy!" Snivy swishes her leaf-like tail, winking at the professor.

I feel my chest swell with pride and love for my sleek Grass-type. _I get to keep her, don't I? My first real Unova Pokémon._

"I hate to spoil the happy moment," Raven says in a voice peppered with boredom, "but if you don't mind, professor, may I please have a Pokédex? Once I have one, I'm officially on my journey."

"Of course," Juniper says, turning away to face a cart an assistant has just wheeled out. On the cart are several gray Pokédexes and Poké Balls. She takes one and hands it to Raven. "Here you go. And do you need any Poké Balls?"

"No, we're good," she answers. Grasping her new Pokédex, she immediately holds it up to Pikachu, who tilts his head in confusion.

 **Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.**

"And how about you, Alice?" Juniper questions as she turns to me. "Do you need a Pokédex, as well?"

"Yes, please. Also, would I be able to get some Poké Balls? I kinda forgot to bring them when I left Kanto..."

Raven and Purrloin stifle laughs, but nevertheless, Juniper smiles and takes another Pokédex off the cart, as well as five tiny Poké Balls.

"Here you go," she says, handing them to me. "Remember, you can carry up to six Pokémon with you at a time."

I nod before grasping the small Poké Balls. I clip them all onto my belt, except for one of them. Then, I take the electronic device from the professor and hold it up to Purrloin. It springs to life almost instantly.

 **Purrloin, the Devious Pokémon. Purrloin steals from people for fun, but its victims can't help but forgive it. Its deceptively cute act is perfect.**

 _It perfectly describes her,_ I think to myself. Now, I shift the Pokédex over to Snivy.

 **Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon. Snivy is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter.**

"Thank you very much, Professor Juniper," I tell her, stuffing the device back into my pocket.

Now, I take the only Poké Ball off my belt and hold it up to Snivy. She swishes her tail once more, smirking.

"Ready to go, girl?"

"Vy!"

She taps the tiny white circle in the middle of the Ball, and it pops open. A beam of red light sucks her inside before shutting. The round device wobbles in my hand before stiffening, clicking shut.

 _Snivy's officially my Pokémon now._

But I open the Ball back up, and Snivy appears back on my shoulder. Smiling, she rubs against my cheek. I laugh as I clip the Ball back onto my belt.

"Welcome to the team once again, Snivy."

"Snive."

* * *

A few minutes later, Raven and I step out of the lab, Juniper and Laura right behind us. The late afternoon sun is beginning to sink into the distance, signaling the sunset.

"There's a town a few miles down the road called Accumula Town," Juniper informs us. "If you hurry, you could get there before nightfall."

But although both Raven and I shake our heads, it's my rival who speaks first: "Thanks, but sleeping outdoors every once in a while is part of a Trainer's job."

"And it's way nicer than being cooped up in a Pokémon Center room, no matter how comfortable they are," I add in, smiling.

Laura and Juniper chuckle at our attitudes. "Well, I can't argue with that," Laura says, smiling. "Will you two be traveling together?"

"No." The answer is blunt and simultaneous, causing both women to laugh again.

"Okay, then," Juniper says. "Either way, good luck to you both."

Raven nods at her, and then turns to me, jabbing a finger at my chest. "Just you wait, Kanto girl," she says with a smirk. "The next time we meet, I'll have some new Pokémon, and we'll be able to put you in your place."

"I look forward to that day," I reply, meeting her smirk evenly.

She nods before turning away, waving back to us. "Bye! Thanks for everything, Professor Juniper! And thank you, Laura! And Alice, you'd better watch your back."

And then she disappears down the path, Purrloin at her side. I watch them until they're nothing but two black dots in the late, dying sun.

I take a deep breath, turning to Pikachu and Snivy, who're still on my shoulders. "Ready, you two?"

"Pika."

"Snivy."

And with those two words—or sounds—I step onto the dirt path that'll lead us to the next town—our next adventure.

"Alice, wait!"

I whip around at Juniper's voice, where she stands there, smiling.

"I just thought you should know this. Two Trainers left my lab a little before you and Raven arrived with Laura. Maybe you could catch up with them?"

I give her a soft smile, not wanting to seem rude. "Thanks, but we'll see. After all, we're used to traveling on our own."

"There's a first time for everything."

Juniper winks, and with another wave, I start running down the path towards Accumula Town.

 _Second Gym badge, wherever you are, watch out! We're coming for you!_

* * *

A little while later, it's become dark, and Pikachu grips tightly onto my shoulder as I swing on the vines in the forest. Snivy swings next to me, her own vines wrapping around the tree branches and propelling her small body rapidly.

"You're pretty good at this, Snivy," I call to her. "I guess I've got some competition."

"Vy!"

Suddenly, the vine I grasp snaps, and I begin to plummet down to the grass below. Shrieking, I yank on the nearest tree branch and hug it tightly, saving myself from certain doom.

My breaths are shaky, and soon, Snivy swings down onto the branch to look at me. She places her hands on her green hips, looking at me with concern in those crimson eyes.

"I'm okay, guys," I heave, pulling myself up onto the branch. Throwing my leg over it, I sit back, leaning against the bark of the tree.

My heart is beating like I just competed in a Rapidash race. We've been moving—swinging is more like it—nonstop ever since we left Nuvema Town. I haven't spotted Raven or Purrloin yet; either they must be way ahead of us on the path, or they're already at Accumula Town.

I haven't seen anyone else on the path, either. No two Trainers Professor Juniper spoke about, and not many Pokémon, besides a few Pidove and Patrat.

"We should rest for the night," I tell my two Pokémon, petting them both on their heads. "And then we'll get moving again in the morning. But we should get to Accumula Town by tomorrow night, if we can. Does that sound alright with you?"

"Pikachu!"

"Vy."

With their consent, I snuggle against the bark of the tree and close my eyes. The last thing I feel before unconsciousness envelopes me is Snivy and Pikachu curling up together on my lap, snuggling into my skin.

* * *

"If you'd just listened to me, we wouldn't be lost right now!"

"It's not my fault you're so impatient! We're not lost, okay? We'll get there when we get there."

My eyelids unveil my blue orbs slowly at the sudden voices. Frowning, I shift in my spot on the tree branch, looking down at the path below.

Standing there are two people: a boy and a girl. The boy, sporting dark chocolate hair and brown eyes, and wears a red and white hat on his head. He wears a blue jacket over a black shirt, black jeans, and red sneakers. A shoulder bag is strapped around his shoulders, hanging off to his left side. He holds his hands up in a surrendering motion.

Unlike the boy, the girl has her hands on her hips, but like the boy, she harbors dark brown hair. She's pulled it up into a high ponytail, and has dark blue eyes, as well. A pink and white hat sits on her head, and she also wears a white sleeveless shirt, a black vest, and ripped blue denim shorts. She also has black boots with pink laces on, and a pink handbag hangs around her shoulders.

On the ground beside the Trainers are two Pokémon—certainly ones I've never seen before. One is orange and black with a springy tail and pointy ears, and the other is a light blue and white color, with small ears and a yellow shell on its belly. Both Pokémon look at each other and shrug as their Trainers argue above them.

"You know, we could've been in Accumula Town if we'd traveled through the night. But _no,_ " the girl's voice drawls out mockingly, "you had to take a _rest._ "

"It's not normal for people to travel through the night," the boy retorts, trying to sound calm. "There's wild Pokémon and hunters and all kinds of dangers in the forest at night."

"They wouldn't dare cross us with Tepig to protect us."

"Wait, are you implying Oshawott's not strong enough to deal with villains?!"

"No! Sheesh, you always jump to conclusions!"

I roll my eyes before swinging my leg over the branch and jumping down. Pikachu and Snivy quickly follow, landing on my shoulders. Casting another look at the two Trainers, my eyebrow begins to raise.

 _Could these be the two Trainers Juniper was talking about?_

The boy's eyes meet mine, and he gasps. The girl whips around and gasps loudly, as well. My cheeks redden under their unwanted stares.

"...Hi...?"

"Is that a Pikachu?!" Immediately, the brown-haired girl runs over and snatches Pikachu off my shoulder, hugging him tightly. "I've never seen a Pikachu before! I thought they only existed in stories!"

I swallow, and the boy gives me a sheepish look, his cheeks tinted with pink. The girl's sour attitude has completely vanished, and it's now replaced with fangirly feelings for my Pikachu.

"His cheeks are so red!" she continues, pinching his cheeks. He squirms under her arms, but she doesn't comply to his wishes for release. "And they're so jiggly! You can't find _anything_ this jiggly in Unova!"

The boy clears his throat, and the girl freezes. Looking at the Pokémon in her arms, she shrieks once he begins sparking with electric jolts. She drops him, but luckily, he lands on his paws. He shakes his head and growls, swishing his tail.

From her spot on my shoulder, Snivy snorts with laughter, and the girl looks up to glare at her. But her dark blue eyes meet mine, and her gaze softens.

"Hi there," she begins, sounding a bit awkward. "Is...he your Pikachu?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry about that. I just get—"

"She gets overexcited about the littlest of things," the boy interrupts, walking closer to us. Ignoring the fierce glare the girl sends his way, he kneels down to Pikachu, who eyes him warily. "Hello, little guy. Sorry about her."

Pikachu shrugs before jumping back onto my free shoulder. His red cheek rubs up against mine, and he coos.

"I'm Alice Ketchum," I introduce myself. "You've met Pikachu, and this is Snivy. We're on a journey so I can become a Pokémon Master."

The girl's eyes perk up. "Wait, Pokémon Masters? There's no such thing! ...Is there?"

"Of course they're real!" _How can she not know about Pokémon Masters?! Are they not common in Unova?_ "And what are your names?"

The boy kneels down to pick up the blue and white sea otter, who rubs his head against his chest. "I'm Hilbert Black, and this is Oshawott."

"Osha—wott!" the tiny otter pipes up, tapping the golden shell on his stomach.

Raising my eyebrow, I fish my Pokédex out of my pocket and hold it up to the new Pokémon.

 **Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon. Oshawott fights using the scalchop on its stomach. In response to an attack, it retaliates immediately by slashing.**

"And I'm Touko. Touko White," the girl says. The orange and black fire pig jumps up onto her shoulder before climbing onto her head. "And this is my friend, Tepig."

Said fire pig snorts and smiles, so I move my Pokédex up to scan it.

 **Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon. Tepig can deftly dodge its foe's attacks while shooting fireballs from its nose. It roasts berries before it eats them.**

"...Are you guys new Pokémon Trainers?" I ask them, pocketing my Pokédex. "Professor Juniper told me two new ones left right before I arrived at the lab yesterday. I'm wondering if she was talking about you."

Recognition flashes in Touko's eyes, and almost immediately, she turns away, slanting her blue eyes. Hilbert flinches at her sudden cold exterior, but replies to my question with a smile.

"That might've been us, yes. You see, we've just started on our journey with Oshawott and Tepig. How long have _you_ been training? Not long, I suppose?"

I smile at his boldness. "No, actually. I've been training with Pikachu for five years and counting. It takes a lot of work to become a Pokémon Master." Pikachu nods, and Snivy smirks. "So, are you two friends?"

It's Hilbert's turn to blush and look away, and he scratches the back of his neck. "Well, uh, you see...no, we're not." This causes me to raise my eyebrow.

"We're cousins," Touko reveals, her eyes locking with mine. "I'm from Undella Town, and he's from Nuvema Town. But we have to go on a journey together to keep each other safe and all that junk. I don't know why. Tepig and I can handle each other just fine."

"Pig!" the fire pig snorts. By its voice, I'm guessing it's a female.

I tilt my head in confusion. "But why do you have to travel together?"

"Mom's rules," they answer simultaneously.

I smile once again, and now that I see it, they really do look like cousins. They've got the same hair and the same face.

"We're on our way to Accumula Town, actually," Hilbert tells me, hugging Oshawott tighter. "We're supposed to meet up with my friends there. I'll bet they're already there, too."

Touko sighs, and Tepig mimics her Trainer, reminding me of Raven and Purrloin. "We would already be there if _someone_ had listened to my idea of traveling through the night!"

Hilbert shuts his eyes for a moment before reopening them, looking exasperated. "Touko, I told you, it's dangerous to be traveling around at night!"

"Uh, excuse me?"

Both brown-haired fourteen-year-olds turn to me, staring at me with two brown eyes and two blue eyes. I swallow before opening my mouth again:

"I'm going to Accumula Town, too. Why don't we all head there together?"

Hilbert's eyes glow, and he quickly nods. "Sure! The more, the merrier! Right, Touko?"

But said blue-eyed girl shrugs, diverting her eyes from mine. "I guess. Come on, Tepig."

And she begins to walk further down the path, leaving me and Hilbert alone.

I swallow, feeling guilt settle in. "Is she mad at something I did?"

"No," he quickly dismisses the idea, smiling nervously. "It's just...well, Touko's always been like this. One second, she's all bubbly and happy, and the next she's all depressed and serious. You get used to it after a while, though."

I bite my lip before nodding. "Okay, then." I grasp the straps of my backpack and give him a smile. "Well, what're we waiting for? We can't let her get ahead!"

A soft yet competitive smile stretches across his face. "There's no way I'm allowing her to get too far ahead of me!"

And he runs off after his cousin, with me and my Pokémon trailing right behind him.


	7. Team Plasma's Proposition

**8/23/2017**

 **Thank you to everyone who's been reading this story and/or my other stories. It really means a lot to me!**

 **Ivy the Snivy: Oh, Pikachu and Piplup weren't like _that,_ unfortunately. ;) Sorry! And no, so far, Pikachu and Snivy are just friends. As for the rest of Alice's Pokémon, well...that's a surprise! ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, or anything related to Pokémon. I only own Alice.**

* * *

7 - Team Plasma's Proposition

"Hey, look at that!"

At Touko's sudden voice, Hilbert and I continue our run and join her at the top of the hill. With a smile on her face, and a jolly Tepig on her head, she points over to the small town below us.

"Isn't that Accumula Town?"

His cousin's question causes Hilbert to nod. "I think so. Professor Juniper did say it would be the next town we saw."

Touko's hand suddenly shoots out and wraps around Hilbert's wrist. "Then come on! We've waited long enough. Let's go!"

Oshawott gives a small yelp from his spot on Hilbert's shoulder as his Trainer is dragged away by the energetic, chocolate-haired girl. Pikachu and Snivy snicker at the pleading expression he throws at them.

* * *

A few moments later, Touko races into the silvery streets of Accumula Town, shaking with excitement. Hilbert and I follow her, though I'm a bit further ahead than Hilbert is. He rubs his wrist, quietly commenting about Touko's surprising strength.

"It's small," Touko tells us as we start to cross over a small stretch of grass, which will lead us into the town, "but doable. We'll be able to get some training in here, won't we, Tepig?" Her little fire pig (who's still on her head) snorts in response, snuggling deeper into her Trainer's hair.

"We could stop by the Battle Club," Hilbert suggests nonchalantly. "I think it's near the Pokémon Center."

 _Battle Club?_ "Unova has them, too?" I find myself asking him. "I didn't know that."

Touko raises her eyebrow at my words, and for a moment, I'm fearful she'll turn into a pink-clothed, lighter-haired, Tepig-owning version of Raven. But she merely shrugs and turns away, reaching up to pet Tepig.

"Of course Unova has them. Does Kanto? Or wherever you're from?"

"No, Kanto doesn't have many, but we do have some battle spots, where Trainers get together and train with each other. They're unofficial, of course."

She nods before resting her eyes on Snivy. The little Grass-type is curled up in the crook of my neck, her leafy tail draped over my shoulder.

"Have you ever seen Snivy in battle before? Or Pikachu?"

Her inquiry catches me off guard; it's a few heartbeats later when I reply. "Of course I have. ...Why do you ask?"

"Has she won any battles before?"

"...Yes..."

"I was just wonderin'," she says, reaching up to play with Tepig's floppy black ears. "It's surprising, since she's a Grass-type and all."

A fire begins to swirl at the pit of my stomach. "What do you mean?" My voice is sharp when I speak.

"It's no secret Grass-types have a lot of weaknesses. I mean, they're vulnerable to Fire-types, Bug-types, Ice-types, you name it. I'm impressed you've managed to win battles with her."

Hilbert jolts at his cousin's words. "Touko, cut it out!" His eyes meet mine, alight with panic. "She didn't mean that in a bad way, Alice! She's still new to the whole concept of being a Trainer!"

This earns him a fierce scowl, courtesy of his cousin. "So are _you!_ And I'm just voicing my opinion!"

"It's okay." Both brown-haired heads swerve around at my surprisingly calm voice. My nails bury themselves into the soft skin of my palms so hard they begin to hurt. "It's fine to assume a Pokémon is weak, just because of their type." My voice is soaked with sarcasm—something I'm not used to doing.

It's Touko's turn to act defensive. "Hey, that's not what I meant! If you're able to win battles with her, then good for you! Grass-types are particularly hard to work with because of their many weaknesses. If you can work through them and still win some battles, it means you're pretty strong!"

I allow my fingers to unwind, but the hostility burning in my stomach still remains. "Whatever." My eyes dart to the ground as I step past Touko, and closer towards the town in the near distance.

* * *

The air is still thick between the three of us as we make it into the little town. Silvery pavement rests beneath our feet, and a few houses and buildings tower over us. Stairs and bridges connect the houses together, with the stairways providing easy walkways to the roofs of some buildings, and allowing anyone to go up and enjoy the view. Signs to the Pokémon Center and various shops are placed along the sidewalks. Children play with their Pokémon, whether they're Patrat, Deerling, or Lillipup, while their parents look on lovingly.

My hands have shoved themselves into the pockets of my jacket. Touko and I have not shared a single word since our exchange outside the city. Hilbert and Oshawott have tried to speak with me, but I just brush them both off. I'm not interested in making peace with Touko so soon after she undermined Snivy's skill in battle.

 _She's the complete opposite of Dawn; at least she was sweet and understanding, albeit a bit energetic to deal with, even by my standards. But Touko is just...flat-out mean!_

"She really doesn't mean it," Hilbert had said as we were approaching the city. "It's just her blunt honesty. She says whatever's on her mind without any restraint. She doesn't filter what she says, she just says it."

Pikachu's cheek rubs against my own, and a soft coo slips out of his mouth. Snivy flicks her leaf-like over my shoulder, eyeing me carefully with those slanted red orbs.

 _They know when I'm upset, Pikachu especially. I should know better than to hide my feelings around them._

Just as I pet them both on their heads, Touko's voice explodes behind me: "Hilbert, where are you going?!"

My head turns to the side just to see a blur of brown and blue run past me and down the street. Another blur, this one brown and pink, chases after him. Tepig clings onto Touko's ponytail for dear life as she chases her cousin.

"You'll get lost! Come back here!"

Instinct kicks me into gear, and it's not long before I start running after the two of them. Hilbert, who holds a terrified Oshawott under one arm and the strap of his shoulder bag on the other, races straight up to a light crowd of citizens near a small grassy hill.

"Cheren!"

At Hilbert's excited voice, a certain boy in the crowd turns his head to gaze behind him. His face breaks out into a grin when he sees the brown-haired boy.

"Hilbert." His voice is very calm, even when the three of us stop in front of him, panting like crazy.

Her face crimson from heaving and running, Touko collides her fist with Hilbert's arm. "Don't run off like that again, you idiot!"

The boy chuckles before turning around completely, and when he does, I'm able to get a better look at him. Dark blue eyes are nearly hidden behind pale silver, half-rimmed glasses, and a red shirt with two white vertical stripes on the side hug his upper body, while black jeans have made their home on his lower half. He wears a blue jacket and matching blue shoes, as well."

"It's good to see you again, Hilbert." A hand sweeps some black bangs out of his eyes. "And this must be the cousin you keep complaining about, right?" He nods to Touko, whose scarlet cheeks are puffed out in annoyance.

"With good reason," Hilbert mumbles, rubbing his sore arm. Oshawott crawls up his Trainer's shoulder and onto his head, where he settles himself directly on the top.

The black-haired boy's eyes catch mine, and then the sight of Pikachu and Snivy. But before he can open his mouth to question me, a booming voice comes from the hill in front of the crowd:

"Greetings, citizens of Accumula Town." The voice, albeit sounding a bit strange, is no doubt entrancing. The four of us turn back toward the hill, where a group of people have gathered.

Banners with large blue _P_ 's printed on them sway in the light breeze that caresses Accumula Town. Below them are handfuls of men and women cloaked in light gray robes, hoods, and boots. They stare into the crowd almost expressionlessly.

Perched in the center of the small hill is a man with long green hair, wearing a large orange and purple cloak with multiple gold patterns engraved on it.

 _He must be their leader._

"I am Ghetsis," the green-haired man speaks in a deep voice. "I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation."

At this, the crowd erupts into uncertain murmurs and concerned voices. Hilbert and I look at each other, and Pikachu, Snivy, and Oshawott do the same.

 _Liberation? As in, setting free? Do they really want Pokémon to be set free?_

"I'm sure most of you believed that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other," Ghetsis continues. "However...are you certain that's the truth?"

Snivy's tail swishes, knocking against my shoulder. Her red eyes are slanted even further.

"Have you ever thought...Pokémon are simply being subjected to _selfish commands_ of Trainers? We speak of them as our _partners,_ as our _friends,_ but we push them around and force them to respond to our commands. ...Can anyone say with confidence there is no truth in what I'm saying?"

The crowd is dead silent. The only sound is a flock of Pidove flying overhead.

 _Is he right...? All this time, have I only been forcing Pikachu to battle for me? Am I the only one enjoying this adventure we've been on for five years? Is he even happy being my Pokémon?_

But one look at Pikachu growling on my right shoulder evaporates all those thoughts. _No._ His eyes are always alight with happiness whenever we win a battle or earn a Gym badge. And we've been completely honest with each other, ever since we began our first journey in Kanto. If something was bothering him, he wouldn't be shy to admit it.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," Ghetsis says, pacing back and forth on the hill in front of the "Team Plasma" members, "Pokémon are different from humans. They are living, breathing creatures who hold unknown potential. Humans have much to learn from these admirable beings. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?"

Touko's eyes meet Tepig's, who's still perched on her head, and Hilbert lifts Oshawott up and places him on his shoulder. Snivy and Pikachu jump off my shoulders and onto the ground, and the two of them stare at me with large brown and red eyes.

 _I could never give you guys up. You feel equal to me, right? You're not inferior. Not at all._

"That's right!" At Ghetsis's voice, my head snaps up. Anger boils in the pit of my stomach. "We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Citizens of Accumula Town, I leave you today imploring you to consider the true relationship between people and Pokémon...as well as the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

As Ghetsis bows his head to the crowd, two Team Plasma members take down the banners. The men and women in the gray uniforms circle around their leader and begin to walk away, down the hill and towards the exit of the city.

The silence Team Plasma has left us with is very disturbing. However, the citizens begin to break away from the crowd and murmur to each other about what Ghetsis said.

"They're out of their minds if they think we're gonna do what they say," Touko finally speaks up. She stretches out her left arm, allowing Tepig to climb down and perch herself on her wrist. "Right, Tepig?" The fire pig happily snorts in response, wagging her springy tail.

Meanwhile, Hilbert and Cheren exchange awkward glances. "I mean, Oshawott and Snivy would let us know if they were unhappy, right?"

"That seems to be the most accurate assumption," Cheren says. A hand slides down to his belt, where a Poké Ball rests. Interesting. He has a Snivy, too?

When I look down to speak with my own Pokémon, I find their backs are facing me, their eyes locked onto something down the street. Following their gazes, I spot a young man standing on the edge of the street, with ruffled green hair tied back in a long ponytail. He wears a black and white hat, a white shirt, light tan pants, and green sneakers. Curled around his arm is a Purrloin, who stares right back at Pikachu and Snivy with her slanted emerald hues.

The Trainer suddenly turns, and our eyes lock. I freeze under his blue-gray gaze.

He steals a glance at Pikachu and Snivy, and soon, he's walking over to us. My hands twitch in anticipation, and I prepare myself for an unfriendly confrontation.

 _Whenever the eyes of two Trainers meet, a battle is sure to ensue._

"Your Pikachu," the Trainer says in a quiet voice, stopping only a few yards away from us. "And your Snivy. I can hear their voices."

Said Electric-type and Grass-type look at each other before stepping cautiously over to the newcomer. He kneels down to their level and holds out a hand. The Purrloin on his shoulder smiles encouragingly.

Pikachu's the first to sniff the stranger's hand. When he does, he coos happily and rubs his face into the newcomer's palm. Snivy raises an eyebrow, not making a single move towards the mysterious Trainer. He gazes at her sadly.

"I understand," he says to her. "You're not quick to trust new people. It's not surprising, considering you were abandoned."

To my surprise, Snivy doesn't seem startled by his words. But that doesn't mean I'm not. "Who are you? And how do you know that?"

Giving Pikachu one last pet on his head, he stands up and smiles softly. "She told me herself."

Suddenly, Cheren and Hilbert are at my sides, with Touko standing next to her cousin. "But Pokémon can't talk!" Cheren blurts out. "That's impossible!"

The mysterious Trainer is taken aback. "They _can_ talk. ...Oh, you must not be able to hear them, then. That's a shame." He tips his hat and slightly bows his head. "My name is N. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Alice," I tell him, as Pikachu and Snivy hop back onto my shoulders. "And you've already met Pikachu and Snivy."

"Pika."

"Vy."

"I'm Hilbert. It's nice to meet you, too. And this is Oshawott."

"Osha!"

"My name's Touko. This is Tepig, my partner."

"Pig!"

"And my name is Cheren," the black-haired boy finishes our introductions. "Hilbert and I were asked to complete the Pokédex, and we just left Nuvema Town a few days ago. My main goal is to become the Champion, though."

As he speaks of his mission, I can't help but realize he uses the word "goal," just like Raven did in our last meeting. _Dreams are for dreamers, plain and simple. Goals are for people to take them seriously and achieve them for real._

My throat gets dry at the thought of her. I wonder how she's doing? Knowing her, I'm guessing she's already got three new badges to rub in my face the next time we cross paths.

N raises his eyebrow. "The Pokédex?" He swallows before quietly continuing, "I understand. You're going to confine countless numbers of Pokémon in Poké Balls, then, are you not?"

 _It's our turn to be startled by his words. He's starting to sound like those Team Plasma guys! Is he one of them?_

"I'm a Trainer, too," he admits, staring at the ground, "but I don't trap them inside Poké Balls. They wander about freely at my side. I use them for battle, as well, but I can't help asking myself these questions... Are Pokémon _really_ happy that way?"

His eyes suddenly shoot up and meet mine once more.

"It's Alice, right?" I nod. "Let me hear the voice of your Pokémon once again."

At his words, the Purrloin unwinds itself from his arm and leaps right in front of him. Its tail swishes, reminding me of Raven's own Purrloin.

My eyes dart from side to side, trying to decide who to choose. Pikachu's the obvious choice, what with our five-year-long bond and undeniable trust we have in each other. But Snivy could use the experience, and this battle could prove Touko was wrong about her earlier, when she said Snivy was a weak Pokémon.

Eventually, the urge to prove Touko wrong is stronger.

"Snivy, I choose you!"

The grass snake slides off my arm and directly in front of me, baring her teeth at Purrloin, who returns the gesture. Hilbert, Touko, and Cheren immediately back off to give us some space. Pikachu's reluctant to leave my side, though.

"It'll be okay, buddy," I reassure him, picking him up and placing him on the ground. "Go with Hilbert and Touko. You can cheer us on from the sidelines, okay?"

He shrugs, but eventually, he nods and bounds over to Hilbert. Oshawott smiles shyly as Pikachu waves to him.

Now that one of my Pokémon is safe and taken care of, it's time to worry about the other. I nod to Snivy, and she nods back. She's comfortable with any strategy I throw her way.

"It's refreshing to see you using Snivy," N says quietly, "considering her past hardships. She must have a lot of trust in you to battle alongside you."

I steal another glance at my Grass-type. _Is that right? I mean, we've only known each other for about a week now. Does she already trust me enough to let me take charge with this battle?_

"Snivy, start this off with Vine Whip!"

"Purrloin, use Scratch!"

Twin vines slide out of Snivy's neck and lunge for Purrloin. However, before they can smack at the purple catlike Pokémon, Purrloin's claws lengthen and swipe at them. Snivy grits her teeth as she recalls her vines, with Purrloin smirking victoriously.

"No way!" Touko gasps. "How is that even possible?!"

"Purrloin tend to be extra speedy," Hilbert tells her. "They can use that to their advantage when performing physical attacks like Scratch."

She glowers at her cousin, her cheeks already inflated and red. "I was asking Cheren, not you!" Meanwhile, Cheren shifts uncomfortably next to Touko.

"Purrloin, my friend," N calls out, "use Growl!"

Purrloin smirks before digging all four paws into the pebbles and stones that make up the pavement below. It inhales deeply before baring its teeth and releasing a powerful growl.

At first, Snivy doesn't seem effected. But then, the muscles in her little arms and tail begin to relax. Panic sets into her eyes as she tries to regain the strength she had only seconds ago.

"Growl will easily lower an opponent's Attack power," Cheren sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Snivy won't be as strong as she was earlier in the battle."

 _That's what you think!_

"We can do the same thing, right, girl?! Snivy, use Leer!"

Snivy bares her teeth and releases an intensified glare. Her eyes are shadowed with a red color, and the imprints lift off and collide into Purrloin's body. The violet catlike creature shakes its head, its whole body quivering.

"And now Purrloin's Defense has been lowered!"

 _We're pretty much even now, aren't we?_ "Leaf Tornado, let's go!"

Snivy twirls herself around, a gust of leaves and pebbles gathering at the tip of her leafy tail. With a battle cry, she slams the tornado into Purrloin, knocking it back and into the pavement below.

N grits his teeth. "Purrloin, come on! I know you can still get up!" It's only a matter of seconds when Purrloin springs to its feet, pawing at the pavement.

My nails bite into my palms once again. _Snivy hasn't been hurt directly yet, though. She can still go on. Purrloin must be getting tired if it relies on its speed—_

 _Wait! Its speed! I can use that!_

"Purrloin, end this with Scratch!"

"Dodge it, Snivy!"

Snivy darts to the right as Purrloin lunges, causing the sleek Dark-type to smash into the ground. Snivy fails to bite back a smirk when she sees Purrloin shaking its head.

"Go for her again, Purrloin! Keep using Scratch!"

"Keep dodging, Snivy! Don't let it touch you!"

Snivy skillfully evades each of Purrloin's swipes, and it's not long before sweat begins to cling to the Dark-type's purple fur. Snivy's also getting tired, but she hasn't taken as much damage as Purrloin has.

"Leer once more!"

Snivy flips backwards to dodge another swipe, and when she lands on her back paws, she glares fiercely at Purrloin. Those shadowy red eyes lift off and slam into its form, causing it to tremble for a second time today.

"Finish this up with Vine Whip!"

Like a flash of lightning, Snivy's vines lash out and slap Purrloin continuously. The catlike creature cries out before falling onto the pavement, black swirls plastered on its face.

 _We won!_

"You did it, Snivy! Nice job, girl!" The grass snake sends me a tired yet victorious smile from across the little makeshift field.

But my rush of victory is frozen when N walks over to his fallen Purrloin and cradles it close to him. At his touch, the Purrloin opens its eyes and smiles. N returns the gesture before turning to me and Snivy, who has joined me and now rests in my arms.

"I never expected a Pokémon to say the things your Snivy spoke during our battle," he says quietly. Not a trace of anger is in his voice nor on his face. "She certainly bears a feisty spirit." He suddenly frowns, a lock of sea green hair falling in between his eyes. "But it doesn't matter in the end. As long as Pokémon are confined to Poké Balls, they will never be perfect beings." He tears his eyes away from mine, and looks up at the sky. "Pokémon are my dear friends. And that is why I must change the world for them."

He gives me a soft smile, and Purrloin is able to climb up onto his shoulder again. It smirks and winks at Snivy, who raises her eyebrow in response.

"We'll meet again in the future, Alice. I can feel it."

My forehead creases at his words, but I shrug them off. "I guess we will. Thanks for the battle, N. Snivy is a bit stronger now, thanks to you. Aren't you, girl?" She nods and rubs her head against my chest.

N doesn't say anything; he merely nods and turns away, a sad smile etched on his face. He begins to walk down the street, leaving the four of us in a daze.

"What a strange guy," Touko comments as she walks over to me. Pikachu leaps down from Hilbert's shoulder and onto my own, his bolt-shaped tail wagging like a Lillipup's.

Cheren shrugs, placing his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Eh, I wouldn't give him too much thought. It's obvious Pokémon and Trainers help each other out, especially in times of need. Why go through the trouble of separating them?"

Hilbert shifts his weight from one leg to the other, holding Oshawott close. "But still...what they said _somewhat_ made sense..."

All four pairs of eyes meet the ground. I tighten my arms around Snivy as those words sink in. _Liberation would've been perfect for Snivy, if she was abused by her old Trainer, but not all Pokémon are! Some are very happy with their Trainers._

 _But then again... I know Pikachu and Snivy are happy, and so are Oshawott, and Tepig, and even Piplup back in Sinnoh. But are all Pokémon truly happy with their Trainers?_

"Well," Cheren's voice finally slices through the uneasy silence, "I'm heading to Striaton City to face the Gym Leader."

My head whips up at his words. "Striaton City?" Gym Leader?

"Yeah, it's the next town over," he informs me. "But I've gotta get moving if I want to be there by noon." He smiles at the brown-haired boy next to him. "I'll see you later, Hilbert."

He nods at his friend. "See you later."

Cheren nods to me and Touko before heading off down the same street N went down. Hilbert watches him leave, hugging Oshawott even tighter.

Suddenly, Tepig whines from her spot on Touko's head. "What's the matter, girl? You hungry?" She nods, her springy tail drooping. "Okay, okay. We'll get some lunch, okay?"

My own stomach begins to growl. I haven't really eaten anything since last night, when Snivy and Pikachu and I shared some berries before we went to sleep.

Touko points to the orange Pokémon Center in the distance. "I'm stopping in there for a bite to eat. Alice, you should come, too. I'm not gonna stand listening to that Wailord of a stomach all day. And you should heal up Snivy while you're at it, too."

I press a hand to my stomach defensively, but I can never turn down the offer of food. "Okay, then. Let's go!"

She starts running towards the Pokémon Center at full speed, leaving me and Hilbert in the dust. At this, her cousin shrieks and tries to catch up to her.

"You were the one who said no running off on your own, Touko!"

* * *

 _Dawn,_

 _It's been a bit hectic these past few days. I left Virbank City with my rival, Raven, and Laura, one of Professor Juniper's assistants. Pikachu, Snivy, and I came to Nuvema Town. I finally have some Poké Balls and a Pokédex, and Snivy is officially my Pokémon now!_

 _We also met these two Trainers: Hilbert Black and Touko White. Hilbert's a sweetheart, and he owns an Oshawott. It's a tiny blue and white sea otter Pokémon. Touko is...kind of a pain. She's "blatantly honest," as Hilbert likes to call it._ _She pretty much just says what's on her mind without thinking it through. She owns a Tepig. It's an orange pig that blows fire from its nose. And hers is the cutest thing!_

 _Also, we ran into this organization called Team Plasma. It seems they're fixated on freeing Pokémon from their Trainers, and they claim they're not truly happy unless they're released. It doesn't really make sense, but I don't know._

 _I miss you every day, Dawn. I really wish you could come here and visit, but I know your Contests come first. The three of us wish you and Piplup the best!_

 _-Alice_

* * *

"I don't know about you, Alice," Touko says to me through a mouthful of apples, "but when I first came to Nuvema Town to travel with Hilbert, I wasn't that impressed."

Both mine and Hilbert's faces flush red, but Touko continues talking:

"I mean, you only have, like, a few lakes and too many trees. How do you guys get tan in the summer? Don't you ever get sick of seeing so many forest Pokémon?"

The three of us are seated at a booth in the Pokémon Center's café, with Touko sitting across from me and Hilbert. A fully-healed Snivy now sits on the floor with Pikachu, Tepig, and Oshawott, and they all munch down on some special Pokémon food. Touko, Hilbert, and I ordered some apples and berries; you can never go wrong with healthy fruit when traveling on the road.

"Not every town can be as lush and exotic as Undella Town," Hilbert mumbles, shoving another berry into his mouth.

"Undella Town?" I raise my eyebrow at her. "Where is that?"

"Almost halfway across the region," she answers, shrugging. "It's got beautiful beaches, access to the oceans, and adorable vacation homes! It's practically a city in the summer; so many people come to visit! Plus, we have Pokémon you can't find anywhere else in the Unova region. We even have Wailord!"

 _Well, that explains that Wailord reference she made earlier._

"So, where are you from, Alice?" Hilbert says, taking a sip from his water bottle. "I know you're from Kanto, but what town?"

"Pallet Town. It's kinda like Nuvema Town, but the houses are really spread out. We also have a smaller population than Nuvema Town."

Hilbert leans back in his seat. "I've heard of Pallet Town, but not a whole lot. Isn't that where the famous Professor Oak lives?"

At this, Touko's face is suddenly in my own. "Really?! Do you _know_ the professor?! That's so cool! He gives out Starter Pokémon, right? Like Professor Juniper does! Are they still Grass-types, Fire-types, and Water-types? Or do they give out different types?"

Hilbert slaps a hand over his mouth as I press my back into the cushion of the booth. "Y-yeah, I know him. He gives out Starter Pokémon to new Trainers. There's Bulbasaur, the Grass-type, Charmander, the Fire-type, and Squirtle, the Water-type. I actually got Pikachu from Professor Oak."

At this, both Touko and Hilbert eye me wearily. "Why? Does he give out Electric-types for Starter Pokémon? Professor Juniper doesn't do that in Unova."

"It's a long story," I tell them, feeling my face heat up. "I actually ended up sleeping in, and I missed out on getting a Starter Pokémon. He gave me Pikachu instead—he was the only one Professor Oak had left."

"Interesting," Hilbert says as Touko sits back in her seat. "So, I take it you're a fan of Professor Oak, huh, Touko?"

"You could say that," she says proudly. "I have a whole bookshelf dedicated to his works. It's a little taste of life outside the Unova region. Besides, Undella Town _does_ have some Kanto Water-types in the ocean, so it's kinda hard not to read into them and their region of origin."

She suddenly looks up at the clock on the wall above.

"It's almost noon. We should head out. Striaton City's a few hours away, but it's best if we get a head start. Besides, we can't let Cheren beat us to the Gym, right, Hilbert?"

This makes me frown. "Wait, you two are going for Gym badges, too?"

"Of course!" Touko says, smiling. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. And I already have one."

Both pairs of brown eyes are as wide as Poké Balls when I say that. "Wh-what?! From where?! Did you already beat the Striaton City Gym?!"

"No, I defeated Roxie's Gym in Virbank City." I peel back the fold of my white jacket, revealing the shiny badge of poison bubbles. "I arrived in Virbank City when I first came here from Kanto."

The two cousins inch closer to inspect the piece of metal pinned to the fabric. "Amazing! She has two Pokémon, right? So, was your battle a two-on-two?"

"Yeah, that's right?"

"And you used Snivy?" Touko questions.

"Yup. At first, we lost to her, but we challenged her again and won. Snivy was able to defend herself." I make sure those last few words are extra sharp when I voice them.

Touko winces and casts her eyes downward. "Oh, I see..."

Hilbert, obviously sensing the tension, pats his hands on the table before standing up. "We should get going. Anyway, good job on your first Gym victory, Alice. Now, come on! Let's go."

As he scoops up Oshawott and places him in his arms, Touko raises an eyebrow. "Wait, hold up. Are we...traveling as a group, then?"

The though is like a lightning bolt to my brain. I'd never given any thought to traveling with these two. I mean, I just met them earlier today! Am I really willing to travel throughout an unknown region with them? Are they really worthy of my trust?

"I guess so, if that's okay with you," Hilbert says, nodding to me.

Touko shrugs her shoulders. "It kinda makes sense, considering we're on the same journey with the same mission. What do you say, Alice?"

One glance at Pikachu and Snivy chatting happily with Tepig and Oshawott are all I need to confirm my answer:

"I'm in."


End file.
